Silent Flower of Song: Book Three: Return to Aman
by KiyaNamiel
Summary: READ BOOK TWO FIRST. Eruanna has finally come to Aman, battered, broken, and without her dear brother. Will she find healing, a new family, a new home, a new purpose, and even maybe... lost someone's? Watch as her dreams come true in the least-expected way as she forges a new life for herself in Valinor.
1. Prologue

_I finally started!_

 _I'm so exited to say hi and welcome to all of you who have followed and favorited the past 2 books. Love to all of you!_

 _I'm kinda in a hurry here, so for now I'll say hi and can't wait to start, and tell you to enjoy. :)_

 _As usual, all disturbing chapters will have a warning._

* * *

Prologue

 **And then the wave engulfed her and somehow, mysteriously, disappeared without touching the rest of the ship. Gandalf sighed, shaking his head. Elrond stood there, frozen, his face pale. Galadriel had suspicion in her face as she studied Gandalf. And Celébrian screamed.**

 **Eruanna was gone.**

LOTRLOTRLOTR

 _Eruanna felt herself drowning. But strangely, she could still breathe. Air bubbles escaped her lips, but she didn't run out of air. She inhaled, and air filled her lungs. Her chest expanded. Bubbles clouded her vision._

 _And then, there were arms around her. They wrapped around her with the feeling of seaweed and scales, and she sighed. So she wasn't drowning. But she almost wanted to- to escape the Mordor that had been her life, despite its good moments. She just wanted... Rest..._

 _A finger seemed to tap her nose, and she slowly opened her eyes wearily, to see a face looking down at her in obvious curiosity, although it was at the same time a slightly sneering sort of intrigue._

 _The face was perfectly chiseled, white like sea foam, and his hair like blue water that swirled around his face. His arms were covered with a scale-like armor, and his tunic collar looked like the fin of a fish. His eyes were a pale blue color that looked even brighter than ice._

 _So. This was a Maia. And if her mind was still good enough, she could guess who..._

In the meantime, on deck of the ship, the sailors were bewildered while Gandalf was extremely put out and growing more annoyed by the minute. Elrond gasped, while Celébrian shook as Galadriel attempted to calm her.

"W-where is she, Mithrandir?" Elrond asked weakly, and Gandalf gave him a grim, irritated smile.

"Let's see, shall we?" He asked, and then strode over to the railing, calling into the water. "Ossë!" He bellowed, and those who heard him paled and cringed at the sound of his voice.

"Bring that child back here now, else I tell lord Ulmo of your deeds!" He roared, and then slammed his staff against the deck.

There was a heaving of water as something broke its surface, and in a moment a Maia appeared before them, clad in the raiment of fish and with hair like curling tendrils of water.

"Oh come now, Olòrin, it's not like I want to kill her. I was merely curious about the elfling that has my master waiting to see her." The Maia said belligerently. Olòrin glared at him.

"And would you like to explain this to lord Ulmo?" He retorted, annoyed, pointing to the pale and shocked others. Ossë sighed.

"Like I said, only wanted to see her. You are more than welcome to take her back." He groused, handing Eruanna back to Olòrin, who took her into his robe as she shivered, soaking wet.

*It's g-good to s-see you too, lord Ossë.* Her greeting, which resounded along the electromagnetic wavelength through ósanwe so that Ossë could hear it, was accompanied by a weak wave. Ossë snorted.

"See?" He said, and then disappeared into the sea, leaving a very bemused group behind.

Just then, Tol Eresseä came into view. Gandalf turned and gave them all a thin smile.

"Well. Welcome to Tol Eresseä." He said in grim amusement. There was a momentary silence.

And then Eruanna began to laugh weakly through her shivers.

LOTRLOTRLOTR

"Well. Here we are." Manwë said with a faint smile as they stood, unclad, at the docks of Tol Eresseä.

Nàmo smiled thinly. "And I hear that Ulmo is not very happy."

Manwë snorted. "With good reason." He agreed, amused, and Nàmo chuckled.

"Indeed. Well, let's see how she takes my invitation, shall we?" He asked, and they turned back to the dock to watch as the ship came into harbor.

LOTRLOTRLOTR

They were finally here. Eruanna, wrapped in a blanket and feeling extremely exhausted, watched with lethargic interest from Gandalf's arms as a plank was set out for them to walk down to land. As soon as Gandalf set foot on land, Eruanna let out a sigh and closed her eyes, relieved to be off of the ship.

Then she opened her eyes as there was a bright flash of light. Or rather, many lights that coalesced together and then disappeared, revealing four beings that smiled at them softly. Gandalf bowed, and the rest of the elves fell to their knees.

"Rise, all of you. We welcome you to Valinor, best beloved, for we have been waiting for you." One of them spoke, and Eruanna felt a frisson of awe and at the same time recognition sweep through her feä, leaving her trembling and breathless.

Manwë smiled, and then held out his arms, moving forwards and embracing Elrond, Celébrian, Galadriel, Frodo, and Bilbo. "Well done, my children." He said gently, and they began to weep softly in mingled joy and awe. Then Manwë stood and turned to Gandalf.

"Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have served me well." Manwë said, and embraced the Maia, who sighed.

"Thank you, my lord." Olòrin said with grave respect and gratefulness. Then Manwë smiled at him and took Eruanna from his arms. He looked down at Eruanna, who looked back up at him with her eyes wide and cheeks bloodless.

Manwë bent, kissing her brow gently. Eruanna shuddered, and the color returned to her cheeks. "Oh dear one, how we have longed and waited for this day. Welcome home, Eruanna, sister of Glorfindel, best beloved child." He said gently.

Eruanna looked up at Manwë, and she could not find in her mind words to describe him. His hair was pale blue bordering on white, fluttering in the salty sea breeze and around her face. His eyes were a blue that defied every blue she had seen. The brightest, purest blue there ever was and ever will be, ringed with warm gold, and filled with love that was too great for her to comprehend. His face was fair and flawless, and his smile was gentle and loving. Tears spilled onto her cheeks as she closed her eyes, unable to bear the sheer love in the gaze.

"There, my child. Will you not greet my brethren and my beloved?" Manwë asked, and she forced herself to open her eyes, swallowing past her dry throat.

She was passed to another, and this time she looked up to see a fair face of the most beautiful lady smiling down at her fondly. Her face was almost heart-breaking in its beauty, Eruanna thought to herself absently. Her face was heart shaped and fair, while her hair was like the deep Prussian blue of the night sky, wreathed with a crown of living, burning stars that captivated Eruanna's attention even more than Varda's azure eyes did. Varda laughed softly.

"Thank you, my child." Varda said softly as she divined the elfling's thoughts, and kissed her brow. Eruanna blushed faintly, the red dusting her cheeks slightly. Then she was passed on again.

It was another Valië, this time with hair that was a deep purple that reminded Eruanna of faded violets or rich wine-colored velvet. Her eyes were a soft violet, and her face flushed with a pretty pink color. Eruanna felt herself losing herself in the stories that flashed through those eyes. Then the Valië blinked, breaking the gaze gently.

"Welcome, little Eruanna." Vairë said gently, and Eruanna smiled hesitantly. And once more, she was passed down.

When she blinked, it was to see a face looking down at her with a small smile and yet trepidation. She blinked again. This Vala... She didn't know how to describe him. His hair was raven black, as black as the midnight sky without stars, and yet she almost thought it could have been a shimmering blue. His eyes were amaranthine, beautiful and yet somehow disconcerting. His skin was white, and there was a small scar over one of his eyes. And yet, she felt herself drawn to this particular Vala. He radiated... peace- no, rest- no, comfort. Yes, that was it: comfort.

And yet, he seemed in a vague, fuzzy way, in her mind, to be the sort of Vala to inspire fear. And for the life of her she could not figure out why. He was... Breathtaking. He was incredible, in her eyes. Why did he radiate such strong unease? He was wonderful! He was darkly beautiful, and Eruanna felt that she knew him somehow on a plane that was far more intimate then the other Valar. It was someone she had wanted to meet for a long time. This Vala was... home.

With a sigh, Eruanna curled into Nàmo's arms, face smoothing out and clutching his robe in her small fist. Nàmo smiled relievedly, and Olòrin felt himself involuntarily smile as well. Manwë looked delighted.

"Welcome, dear one." Nàmo murmured, and Eruanna started at the painfully familiar address, looking up at the Vala with wide eyes, although there was nothing but surprise there- and grief.

"I wish to extend an invitation to you, Eruanna." Nàmo said, and Eruanna blinked. Then Nàmo gave her a thin smile. "To come to my demesne and find peace." He said, voice turning deeper and more... Sepulchral. Celébrian gasped, but Eruanna just stared.

Then after a moment, she smiled tremulously. Yes. Yes, she would accept. For the chance of peace, for rest, for a new start. So Eruanna reached up, and accepted the invitation with a hug, and had she looked, she would have seen that Nàmo's eyes grew soft as he returned the gesture gently.


	2. Mahanaxar, Mandos, Maiar, and Meetings

**Hey guys! Sorry it's been a while, I would have updated sooner had it not been for that strange 503ERROR glitch on the system. But now that it's fixed, I'm back! Thanks for all of your kind reviews, and please forgive me if I haven't replied to them! I probably forgot because I was so busy traveling.**

 **Im so glad you've seemed to enjoy (?) the prologue, and here's the first chapter! Thank you for all of the follows and favorites.**

 **DISCLAIMER: I own nada but Eruanna and probably any other character you don't recognize unless mentioned. However, my ownership of Eruanna is still under hot debate between me, Ecthelion and Glorfindel, Finrod, Námo, and Eärendil. I do own her flute, though. So anyways, Please,**

 **Read!**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Review!**

Chapter 1

It had taken a lot of persuasion on her part, Eruanna reflected, but she had finally convinced Elrond and Celébrian that this was what she wanted. And she smiled slightly to herself. She had asked them to keep her belongings for her, and then said her farewells, thanking them for all that they had done for her. Nàmo had held out his hand, and Eruanna had taken it shyly, feeling the smooth and firm yet gentle fingers curl around hers lightly but decidedly. And then, it had all gone dark, and she remembered no more until now.

It was dark at first, but then it had cleared into a mysterious place that had made her look around in wonder. Eruanna looked around, and noticed that lord Nàmo was gone. But she could feel something tugging at her, calling her to come to it. So she wandered forwards, until she came to the gate: for indeed, it was THE gate. There was no other way for her to describe it.

It was made of Mithril, glowing with a light of its own. And beyond, as she clung to the gate, was a door in the side of a hill, made of obsidian and engraved with the symbol of a silver sun-in-eclipse on it. A longing rose in her heart, and she unconsciously gripped the gate, pushing as though she expected it to give under her fingers. For there, there was home. She belonged there-

"Child." The darkly melodious voice called to her. She turned, and saw lord Nàmo standing there, a small smile on his lips. He was dressed in a black robe, with silver swirls on it in calm and yet ominous patterns. The sleeves were long and flowing, and his hair was shimmering like polished jet. A Mithril circlet with a single ruby in the center and surrounded by flame-like decorations sat upon his brow, and a pair of black boots showed from under the hem of his robe.

Eruanna sat down, looking at him pleadingly. He raised an eyebrow.

"Speak, child, for you can use ósanwe here." He said, sweeping his hand around them.

But she just stared at him dumbly, for once at a loss of words. Nàmo surveyed her cooly, though inwardly he was smiling amusedly at this precious child.

*Don't scare her too much, Nàmo.* Manwë bespoke him through a private frequency, and Nàmo chuckled.

*Oh don't worry. I won't... Not too much, anyway.* And they both laughed.

"Would you like to come, Eruanna?" Nàmo spoke, nodding to the door. He held out his hand for her to take, and Eruanna stood, walking before him and then taking his hand without hesitation. Then he began to gently draw her before the gate, opening it and passing through, with her following him.

They paused before the door, which slowly began to open. But Nàmo was pleased, for Eruanna's feä was glowing with curiosity and anticipation, not fear as most feär did. Her feä was a mingled blue-green, swirling in a pleasing manner and tinged faintly with gold. At the moment it was orange with curiosity as well.

And then, together, Nàmo and Eruanna passed into the halls of Mandos, the door shutting behind them with a decided, final swish of air and creak of stone. Eruanna looked about. The room they were in was made of black stone, with pleasing and calming patterns etched into them. There was light from everywhere and yet nowhere illuminating it, and she saw that there was a vase of roses on a small table nearby. She paused in confusion, then looked up at the judge of the dead that smiled back at her.

"They are for you, for I was expecting you, little one. Will you accept them?" He asked, and she smiled, or thought she did, before loosing her grasp on his hand and floating over the jar and looking at the blood red roses with appreciation at their beauty.

"Lúthien didn't care very well for my roses. She shredded all of them."

When she looked back, it was to see Nàmo smiling at her amusedly, hands folded in front of him. At the thought, she giggled silently and then went back to him, grasping his robe in her spectral fingers and looking around.

"Come, Eruanna. It is time." And Nàmo's voice was dark. Eruanna felt a frisson of fear go through her at the tone in his voice that signaled that it was the Doomsman of Arda speaking, but she still clung to his robes, blindly trusting him, though for what reason she couldn't have told.

And then she was no longer in the halls of Mandos, but instead in a ring made of black stone, with fourteen figures in fourteen thrones that ringed around her. Eruanna swallowed, unconsciously falling to her knees and looking down, guilt overcoming her heart as she recognized where she was.

"This is the sister of Glorfindel the Balrog-slayer?" Manwë asked, though she suspected he already knew. Nàmo nodded.

"She is."

And then she was alone in the center of the Mahanaxàr, facing the Elder King of Arda and quailing under his unwavering gaze that pierced her deepest thought.

"Then let it begin." He declared, and so it did.

Eruanna wasn't really conscious of what happened. She didn't remember falling to the ground and writhing in pain, reliving every memory of her life, every delusion, all falsehoods stripped away until she was drowning in shame and anguish over the worst and yet best moments of her life. There was nothing that was not laid bare, and the truth of everything was presented to her, unvarnished and unembellished.

She didn't remember screaming for her brother and Estë gently embracing her until she collapsed weeping. There was a pause in the process, and all that was heard was the murmurings of Estë and Eruanna's inconsolable sobs.

She never saw the pity in the Valar's faces, never saw the love and compassion with which Manwë regarded her, never saw the grief and yet love that Nàmo's eyes held, neither did she know how much love and compassion went into her judgement, as with every other Elf that was brought before the Valar.

For indeed, it is love that makes the Valar present the means with which an Elf judges himself. Yes, it is love, for the Valar only want the best for these children of Eru.

"Let it continue." Manwë finally declared, and Eruanna swallowed, feeling dread rise in her as she shook.

As the rest of her memories were sifted through, it seemed to her that there were certain parts that the Valar lingered over more than the others. Her youth in Gondolin, her part in rousing the Huorns, the finding of the chest- the death of Ciaran. The last sent her into the verge of insanity, thrashing and screaming as horror overcame her feä and she could barely breathe. She didn't realize that Nàmo took her into his arms, cradling her gently as he hummed. She finally calmed, shaking uncontrollably and whimpering.

There was a silence. "Come here, child." Manwë's voice was kind but demanding.

She sniffled and obediently uncurled herself from the knot she had tied herself in to, literally crawling across the floors to collapse at Manwë's feet, weeping in exhaustion, shame, fear, relief, and grief. Manwë gathered her into his arms.

"Look at me, hinya." Manwë said gently, and Eruanna looked. She found herself staring into his eyes, blue ringed with gold, and could not look away as they searched her deeply, missing nothing and seeing everything. Then Manwë smiled, and kissed her brow.

And then Eruanna moaned, shuddering as bliss suddenly overcame her, a wave of infinite and all-consuming, all-forgiving love washing over her from beyond the circles of Arda. She screamed, but this time in joy and bliss as the love consumed her inside out, until it retreated and she was left gasping and panting upon the floor, exhausted and quiet, as all went black.

LOTRLOTRLOTR

When she opened her eyes, it was to see Manwë smiling as he helped her to sit up. Eruanna looked around, eyes clear and innocent as she saw the Valar with new eyes. The Valar smiled as they saw the now cleansed and innocent child, looking at them in confusion.

"Greetings, Eruanna." Manwë said softly, love in his eyes. Eruanna blinked at him, and then looked around.

"Atto? Ammë?" She asked, face twisted in confusion. Manwë's eyebrows raised. Then he set her down and the Valar watched with interest as she began to crawl about the ring, sitting at each of the Valar's feet and surveying them with a longing, hopeful look on her face.

*This has never happened before.* Manwe noted to the rest of the Valar with interest.

She passed them all by, one by one, and then reached Ulmo. She sat in front of him, and her face became troubled. "Bad?" She asked. Ulmo picked her up gently.

"No, child, you are not bad. Ossë, however, is a different story." He said dryly, and the Valar laughed softly. Eruanna shook her head.

"Fin'ilmë bad." She whimpered. "Don' listen to Unca U'mo." She sniffled, burying her head into her hands. "Fin'ilmë sorry being bad."

Ulmo sighed. "Oh child. You and your brother." He said with loving exasperation as the Valar muffled their laughter. "The fall of your city wasn't your fault, child, for the decision to leave was up to your King, not you. Unca Ulmo loves you, Eruanna." He said gently, wiping away her tears with his blue-green beard that was like seaweed, his cloak with shimmering fish scales glimmering from his movements.

She smiled tremulously, the relief back in her eyes. Then she scrambled down and began her search again. She paused in front of Irmo and Estë, but only gave them a brief smile before moving to Nàmo, who sat next to Vairë. Eruanna sat, and stared at Nàmo.

Then her eyes lit up, and, with difficulty and a little help from Nàmo, crawled into his lap. She snuggled into him, her nose nuzzling his chest. "Atto." She declared.

"Atto love Fin'ilmë?" She queried, peering anxiously into his face as though suddenly afraid and doubting. Nàmo stared at her for a moment, hope and amazement warring on his face.

"Say yes, Nàmo." Irmo whispered loudly, causing Nàmo to start and then surprisingly blush while the others snickered. Manwë smiled knowingly at him, and Nàmo felt the love of Atar brush him.

*This is My gift to thee, Nàmo. I give thee a child, for she needs love and care just as much as thou needs to know that there is one who loves thee, fully, for who thou art.* Atar whispered, and Nàmo felt joy and awe course through him.

*Thank you, Atar!* He cried, and he felt Atar chuckle before fading away.

"Yes, Eruanna, Atto loves you very much." Nàmo reassured, stroking her hair gently. Vairë leaned over also, smiling gently as Eruanna pushed herself into both of their touches, smiling happily.

"Ammë. Atto." She said happily, and then fell asleep, a contented smile on her face. Nàmo sat there, looking down at her wonderingly.

"What of her memories?" Varda suddenly asked. Nàmo stirred himself and then smiled.

"No need to worry. They will come back to her, although faster than most other Reborn. When Glorfindel arrives, she will most definitely remember all." He answered, and the Valar were satisfied. "And she certainly hasn't forgotten him." He added with a wry look, which was met with much laughter.

And then Nàmo, judge of the dead, carried Eruanna's feä away to his halls and placed her in a bed.

Eruanna never knew that both her new Atto and Ammë sat next to her bedside for a while, looking down at her with love as several Maiar sang an ancient lullaby over her peaceful sleep.

LOTRLOTRLOTR

Eruanna was asleep. She did not know anything, did not see anything, did not hear anything. Sometimes she would wake up, but whenever she did there was always a quiet humming that quickly sent her back into the same, dreamless sleep.

Several times when she awoke there was chaos, for she would suddenly awake, screaming and leaping out of the bed to run to the door that led into her room, pounding on it with her fists. Several Maia had to calm her and send her to sleep each time. Once, Nàmo himself had to come as she awoke and ran to a door that hadn't been there before.

But finally, one day, she awoke to hear two voices quietly speaking. Eruanna, eyes still closed, just listened, breathing deep and even. She relished the feeling of just lying there and doing nothing, thinking about nothing. Just rest. Peace.

"It has been twenty years of the sun since she has been judged." The voice said softly. Eruanna felt confused. It had? That was long!

"Yes. But it has done her feä good. It is almost completely healed now, the only healing left must be done by interaction." A darkly melodious voice answered. That was Atto, she thought, ridiculously pleased that she could register that much.

There was a chuckle. "Yes, my child, it is your Atto." Nàmo said amusedly, and Eruanna opened her eyes to look into the smiling face of the judge of the dead and his sister Estë.

She blinked, and then attempted to sit up, which Nàmo helped her to do. "That you are awake now is good, hinya." Nàmo said gently, and Eruanna clung to his sleeve.

He gathered her into his arms, rocking gently. "Now, would you like to play?" He asked, and Eruanna looked up at him curiously.

"P-play? Where do I play? With who? Is otorno here?" She started out hesitantly, but by the end, the words were spilling out of her lips almost involuntarily. She checked herself and then gave him a chagrined look, but Nàmo only chuckled, leaning down to kiss her brow.

"Yes child, play. All children play, do they not? As for your otorno... There's only one way to find out, isn't there?" He asked mysteriously, amaranthine eyes twinkling as he gave her a secretive wink. She felt herself smile back involuntarily.

"Wanna go play, Atto." She begged, tugging his sleeve. Nàmo stood, setting her down and holding her hand.

"Very well, Eruanna, come along now." He answered, and she followed him meekly and curiously as he opened the door and led her out. She saw other doors along the hallways, but somehow knowing that she was not allowed to enter them. And she had no intention of going against the feeling.

Nàmo walked along the halls until he finally led her to a room where she paused in the doorway, looking around nervously. There were quite a few other feär, running about and playing with abandon. She peeped out from behind Nàmo's cloak where she had hidden herself, eyes wide and nervous at the sight of all of them, and yet at the same time longing to join them. She didn't notice that Nàmo was smiling down at her.

Just then, an elf stopped his playing and looked to Eruanna, a curious look on his face. He looked to lord Nàmo hesitatingly, who nodded at him encouragingly. So the feä sidled up to the little elfling, who stared at him with some fear and trepidation. The elf smiled.

"Hello." He said softly. "My name's Ingalaurë. Would you like to play with us?" He asked, nodding to the others who were running about and laughing. Eruanna looked to them, and then to this kind soul who had offered. Then she smiled shyly.

"T-thank you." She stammered, and then looked to Nàmo, who nodded. So she took the hand proffered and allowed Ingalaurë to pull her gently to the others.

"Look! There's a new friend to play with us!" He called cheerfully, and the feär stopped to look at her. Eruanna immediately disappeared behind Ingalaurë, peering out at them slightly. Then Ingalaurë knelt and pulled her forwards as the others came closer, smiling.

"We're playing chase. Won't you play too?" One asked shyly, and she blinked. Then Ingalaurë grinned.

"I was it." He said, and then leaning forwards, kissed Eruanna's cheek. Then he stood and bolted, laughing. "Can't catch me!" He called, and Eruanna stood there for a moment before suddenly giggling and pelting after the others, who screamed in delight.

The Maiar watching over them smiled indulgently, overjoyed to see these feä innocent and clean of all darkness and happily playing with each other. Just then, Eruanna stopped in the game. The others also paused, looking to her with confusion. Then Eruanna turned to one of the Maia that stood nearby, and sidled up to the Maia, who smiled down at her questioningly.

A gleam came into Eruanna's eyes before yanking on the Maia's tabard. "You're it!" She called, and then scampered away, giggling maniacally. The others stared at the Maia, wide-eyed, unsure what to make of this new development. Then the Maia grinned at them.

"You'd better run." He wriggled fingers at them, and they scattered, shrieking as Calimo chased after them, laughing along with his fellow brethren. Nàmo, hearing the laughter of his Maia, smiled to himself from another part of the halls.

*Don't have too much fun without me, Calimo.* He bespoke his Maia through ósanwe darkly, but sending him a smirk to belie his words.

The Maia laughed. *But that's not fair, master, you aren't fun at all!* Calimo retorted slyly, and Nàmo 'swatted' the cheeky Maia with a chuckle.

But Calimo, after a while, finally caught another one of the elves, and she started to chase the others gleefully. Calimo returned to his post, smiling amusedly and winking when Eruanna chose to hide behind him. She grinned back cheekily, and he chuckled.

Finally, however, the elves collapsed into a heap, exhausted and tangled into a pile as they fell asleep together. The Maiar carefully disentangled their feär, carrying them away to their rooms and putting them into bed.

And so Eruanna's days passed in such a fashion. She would awake and then go back to the others escorted by Calimo, and play until she fell asleep, usually on top of another feä. Until one day...

Eruanna was just sitting next to Ingalaurë, watching the others play. She had taken a liking to the ellon, who stoutly defended her and made sure that she was alright and in good spirits. They had decided to take a break, and Eruanna was curled up next to Ingil, as he had insisted she call him.

But then, another feä wandered into the room, looking around curiously. All of the feär paused to look at the newcomer, who stared back and smiled. Eruanna looked up as well in the sudden lull. And then her eyes widened. Ingil noticed, and frowned.

"What's wrong, Fin'ilmë?" He asked, for that is how she had introduced herself. The new elf looked to their spot at the sound of their voices. And then the ellon gasped, and in a moment was running forwards. Eruanna struggled out of Ingil's grip and also ran, collapsing into the feä as they mingled in joy, the ellon laughing as Eruanna's feä turned yellow as she 'cried' in mingled joy and relief.

"Thel!" She cried, and Ecthelion laughed joyously.

"It took you long enough, my little golden flower!" He answered back teasingly, 'hugging' her with his tendrils of thought. And then she smacked him.

"What does that mean!? You were hoping I would die?" She demanded with mock-affront. Ecthelion smirked at her playfully.

"Of course you would, being deprived of my wonderful and absolutely necessary presence." He sniffed facetiously with a wink, making her collapse laughing, her feä turning a bright blue in amusement.

Then the other feä were laughing, glad for the friendship that their friend had with this ellon. And Nàmo smiled as he heard their play resume, and rolled his eyes.

"Thank Atar! I can finally get rid of him!" He exclaimed in relief that wasn't entirely feigned, causing the Valar who heard him to roar in laughter.

"Násië!" Maranwë muttered fervently, and this time Nàmo joined his brethren in their laughter.


	3. Precious Papers, Play, and Premonition

**Hey everyone, all you Glorfindel, Eruanna, Ecthelion, Finrod, and all things general by way of Silmarillion fans! And of course, a special shout out to all you Finarfinatics in the audience. #ArafinwëForHighKingOfNoldor4Eva**

 **But moving on, I want to apologize for the long wait, I was away and couldn't update for lack of Internet on my iPad. Plus when I did, I was far too busy. You know the deal. *wry look* this was supposed to be a vacation, but turns out it's more of a business trip than anything. Enough of my grouching, moving on...**

 **Thank you for all of the faves, follows, and reviews! Forgive me if you didn't get a reply, I must have forgotten in my break from sanity. But if you ever try to talk and find me out of my mind, just please leave a message and I'll be sure to get back to you. :)**

 **Anyway, as usual, please**

 **Read!**

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* * *

Chapter 2

Eärendil sat by the window of his tower in Aewellondë, looking over the harbor where Vingilot rested for their next trip on the seas of the sky. Houses of stone with wooden porches and baskets of hanging flowers greeted his sight as well, and elves milled happily about the quays and market areas.

All of the Gondolinrim who had been reborn had been offered a chance to live in Aewellondë, where Eärendil and Elwing had a small rule of order. Many accepted, though not all, and the small city had grown into a small Gondolin. Those that accepted lived happily under the rule of their lord and lady, and there was very little cause for unhappiness.

He smiled as he saw his daughter-in-law Celébrian on the docks, talking with his own wife as they sat on barrels, skirts spread modestly about their ankles. It led him to think of his son, Elrond. Of course, he had known that his other son Elros had long gone to the Timeless Halls, but it still grieved him for the sake of his son who still suffered from his twin's absence. Which again, led him to think of the separation of his dear Uncle and vassal Glorfindel, who was separated from his sister.

Long had he watched over Eruanna when he learned of her discovery, and also since he had met her in the maze in Lórien. When his son had arrived in Aewellondë, he had naturally asked about her, and had been grieved to hear of her pass into Mandos. And yet he had been pleased to learn of her passing, for he knew that she would find peace.

Elrond had given him a message from the child, which he still clutched in his hand. Eärendil looked down at the crumpled piece of paper and smoothed it out, rereading over the ink that was blurred from the heat of his hands.

 _Lord Eärendil,_

 _I wonder that you should remember me, my lord. I am Eruanna, sister of Glorfindel. I write to ask you if perhaps I could dare to ask you for one thing._

 _I regret that I cannot come to serve you at this time, but I do not feel very well and would wish to recover for a time. And I would wish that my belongings would be kept safe, for they are dear to me._

 _If I may ask, please take care of my small belongings by simply putting them somewhere where they shan't be a trouble until I am able to come to retrieve them._

 _I thank lord Elrond for taking care of me and caring for my well-being, and I ask that he forgive me for my presumptuousness in asking him to pass on this message._

 _Your vassal,_

 _Eruanna._

He shook his head as he looked down at the letter. The way the child debased herself. As if he would ever say no. He missed his playmate and dearest friend since youth. He had of course answered her request by placing her things in his own room, where he would watch over them until she came to get them.

He mused over the items, wondering at their import. A large, ornate chest; a thick, jeweled tome; a knife that was obviously a sigil-e-hered; and another, smaller chest that obviously held a few other small belongings.

A hand landed on his shoulder, and he turned to see his son. He smiled. "Sit, my son." He offered, and Elrond sat. It still thrilled him to be able to say those two precious words. My son. He had missed his child. And he loved his daughter-in-law.

"You are thinking." His son asked in a tentative manner.

He smiled. "Indeed. I was thinking of Fin'ilmë." He answered, and sighed.

Elrond also fell into a troubled silence before speaking. "She was... precious to many." He finally ventured.

Eärendil nodded. "Yes. There was no one who loved her more than Ecthelion when she was... First born." The words were heavy on his tongue. Once born. She was that no longer, but now to be a Reborn. It was a bittersweet thought.

"Why did she choose to go?" He suddenly asked, feeling the question burning on his tongue unbearably.

Elrond sighed, looking weary. "She loved a mortal." Was his heavy answer, and Eärendil felt a slight pang of remorse for asking, knowing that the words brought forth painful memories for his son. He placed a hand on Elrond's arm.

"I am sorry for asking." He said quietly, though it only raised more questions. Elrond shook his head.

"You deserve to know her story." Was his answer, and Eärendil listened as his son told him the tale of his broken, childhood friend, who had grown so wise and old and yet was so young.

As Elrond told his father the full tale of the elfling that had brought hope to his people in dark times, he found himself also admitting his bitterness of his brother and daughter's choices, until he was weeping and confessing all.

Eärendil listened, and he wept. That day, in the tower, their wives found them in an embrace of forgiveness and healing, brought about by the story of a small elleth who had been their charges in her life.

LOTRLOTRLOTR

Several doors away, in another section of the main palace, a dark-haired, dark-eyed elf sat by his window as well, safely ensconced in his room in privacy. He nervously clutched a piece of paper in his hands, as well as a small piece of purple ribbon.

Erestor had been offered a place to live in Aewellondë, which he had accepted, even though he knew he could go to live with his other Doriath kin if he so wished. But he did not wish. He wished to stay with his lord Elrond, who he had served for the majority of his long life.

And that is where he had met his little friend, Eruanna. A shaft of sorrow lanced through his heart, and the purple ribbon was subjected to a particularly vicious yank. A thread snapped. He missed Eruanna. He had been looking forward to seeing her, and then he had learned that she had... She had...

But then Elrond had given him a letter from her. And now he clutched it, still unopened, in his hand. He could not bring himself to open it, not yet. Erestor let out a tremulous sigh and looked down at the piece of white paper, picking at the opening flap.

He remembered her. Mostly for her words. Mostly for her aura. Mostly for her character. Especially her words. Her journal, what he had read of it, was a work of wonder, with her thoughts that were expressed as clearly as her music. Of course, he may be biased, but he had still never seen someone write the way she had.

He could _see_ her writing. He could _feel_ what she could. He could hear, taste, feel, smell what she could. He could look into her mind, to see how _she_ thought. He wondered if she had ever written anything about him. He knew that she wrote her thoughts about certain people in her journal, though he had never read them.

With a sigh, he turned to the letter, opening it decisively and absently noticing the ink stains on his fingers. They looked like dried blood. The crackle of the paper was like the breaking of his fingers. He hated them, for a moment.

The letter unfolded, and despite himself, he found his eyes undeniably drawn to the curls and blocks and shapes of black ink. For a moment, he could almost remember what she had said about ink. And then he forgot everything in the light of her letter.

 _Dearest Erestor,_

 _I am sorry that I was not feeling so well and could not spend time with you as much as I would have liked too. But I felt too miserable. I hope you can forgive me. I know that I'll be late this year in giving you a worry string, but if you'll wait until I come to see you, I promise to give you another._

 _I think I'll be away for a while to rest, but then I can come to see you again and spend time with you, and you won't think me such bad company. I'm not very nice right now. I can be grumpy sometimes._

 _While I'm away, I asked lord Eärendil to put away my things 'til I come to get them, but I want you to please keep my journal. I know that you'll take care of it, and that you'll see that it doesn't get dusty and dirty. Not that I don't trust lord Eärendil, but I would like you to do it anyway, because you know what my journal means to me._

 _And Erestor, if you want to, please read my journal. Maybe then, when I get back, you'll understand me a little better then you do now. Maybe you'll see why I act as I do, or do things the way that I already do. Maybe, if I wrote well enough, you'll see my thoughts throughout the war and be able to know me a little better._

 _There are secrets in there, but I know that you'll keep them safe for me, and not tell a single feä what you've read. I want you to know, Erestor. I want you to see why I love your smile so much. I want you to see what you've done for me, and this way, maybe I can repay you a little for what kindness you've given me._

 _Please don't forget me, 'Restor. I'll miss you, and wait eagerly until I can see you again. Save a smile for me, please._

 _Love, your friend,_

 _Eruanna_

The door slammed open as Erestor ran to ask lord Eärendil for the journal, tears in his eyes as it was given to him. He retreated back to his room and carefully set the large, jeweled book down on the windowsill, dusting it and making sure that it was not stained or dirtied.

As he reverently opened the first page and read the dedication on it from the dwarves, and went on to the very first page, he lost himself in the words that she had so carefully penned down, eagerly reading the book of her thoughts.

Until he came to the page about him. There were many pages, all filled with her thoughts about different elves and men and many beings, each of them carefully described in looks and character and everything she cared to note about them. But he wanted to know what she thought of him.

As Tilion came over the horizon to mark the end of another day, he saw a lone elf sitting by a large window, clutching a large book to his chest as tears splattered on the stone windowsill.

LOTRLOTRLOTR

"Her work has begun already with her... death." Manwë noted with pleasure to Varda, who hummed in agreement.

"Hmm. Yes. She has brought healing to Eärendil and his son, and also has managed to bring a bit of love into Erestor's poor neglected heart." She answered, looking over one of her smaller stars.

Tulkas suddenly appeared in the room, throwing an arm around Manwë. "Well good! It's about time that she start." He said cheerfully as Manwë wondered if he would collapse under the pressure of Tulkas' arm, much less be able to breathe.

"I say, Námo is unusually happy recently, isn't he? I suppose it's because of our little elfling. I do wonder when he will declare it time for her to be reborn. Do you suppose Atar thinks that she should be released quickly? What do you think Finrod and Arafinwë will think?" Tulkas rattled on, and Manwë was rather relieved that they seemed to be rhetorical questions, as he was at the moment unable to breathe too well, much less answer any questions.

"Manwë? Are you even listening to me?" Tulkas queried suddenly, noticing the uncommon silence from their elder brother.

In response, there was a wheeze as Varda smothered a giggle. Tulkas blinked, and peered under his rather meaty arm to see a purple Manwë.

"I say! I've never seen you that color before, Manwë. Don't you think it's rather incongruous for the Elder King of Arda? I've never seen you any other color but blue before." He said thoughtfully. Manwë tried to glare.

"Can't you talk?" Tulkas asked petulantly, and this time Manwë felt rather annoyed. "Varda, he's turning red. Are you sure there isn't something wrong with him?"

Varda was incapable of answering, as she was rather indisposed with laughter. Tulkas sighed. "I really don't see what's so funny. Now he looks like a blueberry!"

Varda screamed with laughter as Manwë decided to dis-incarnate and reincarnate a little ways away, standing and straightening his robes as he tried to take a breath.

"Tulkas Astoldo." He said in his darkest tones, but the large Vala only gave him a questioning look. Manwë sighed. "Varda, dear, stop laughing. Tulkas, I do not know the answers to your questions. Yes, Námo seems happier, and yes, I suppose it is because of our little elfling. No, I am not usually blue, or any other color for that matter. Now, did you come here for a reason?" He finally asked, and Tulkas was left blinking as Varda continued giggling.

"Ah... No? Wait, yes. I was going to ask you who she's supposed to go to first." The Vala of War answered.

Manwë gave him a jaundiced look. "That's for me to know and you to find out." Was his curt reply before sweeping off. Varda watched him go with a fond smile as Tulkas sighed.

"Well. You can't blame an Ayanumuz for trying." He said disappointedly, and Varda's laughter was joined by that of the One beyond the circles of Arda.

LOTRLOTRLOTR

More years passed as time is reckoned in Aman, for in Mandos there is no concept of time. With each new year, Eruanna found herself needing to sleep less and less, staying awake for longer amounts of time and feeling much less weary when she finally did fall asleep.

Often she would play with the others, but most of her time was spent with Ecthelion and Ingalaurë, either wandering the halls or just sitting and talking. None of them remembered their past lives except for Eruanna, and even she only remembered a few things but not very many details. She knew who she was: Eruanna Glorfindelithel of Gondolin that once was, vassal of Turgon and Eärendil and Elrond. And she remembered Ciaran and Aragorn, the two mortals to whom her heart had at one time been given.

Ecthelion also remembered his name and Eruanna and Glorfindel, but nothing more, and Ingalaurë told them that he was son of Ingwë and twin to Ingwion, but he knew nothing more as well. They did not care, for there was no importance in their names. They were merely a name to put to a friend's face- or as the case was- feä. Position did not matter here.

Nàmo watched them, pleased at their progress and growing friendship. The Maiar also watched with interest and anticipation to see what sort of trouble Ecthelion would get them into next, to Nàmo's exasperation and the Valar's everlasting amusement. It was a common occurrence for the Maiar to playfully fight each other for the honor to do this or that with the Eruhíní.

In fact, once such incident had set much of Mandos into an uproar during the sixtieth year of Eruanna's stay in the halls of waiting, and when the true culprit was revealed, the Valar could not have been more amused.

It had all started when Eruanna had noted that she was bored of seeing the same halls and tapestries all the time.

"Then why don't we go see if there are any other halls and tapestries to look at?" Ecthelion had suggested, and after looking at each other, Ingalaurë and Eruanna had agreed. Half expecting a Maia to appear and shoo them back to their rooms, they were rather surprised when they wandered unhindered, unaware of the amused Maiar that were looking for just the right moment.

They finally entered a room in which stood a fountain, in the middle of which stood a statue of Nàmo, hand outstretched with a butterfly cupped in his palm. Several pillars stood in the room as well, and there were a few tapestries on the walls between the pillars. Eruanna immediately gravitated towards the tapestries, looking at them interestedly.

It was with surprise that she stopped, looking at one with her aura fluctuating with a surprised and bewildered pink. She blinked, and Ecthelion and Ingalaurë came beside her.

"Hey, isn't that you, Eruanna?" Ecthelion asked, and Eruanna had nodded dumbly.

"What are those?" Ingalaurë asked dubiously, pointing at the trees that surrounded her with their branches, bending over her as though to swallow her small, white-clad form that was decorated with living vines. A blue ring was on her finger, and a belt strapped to her waist, decorated brightly. Eruanna swallowed, suddenly missing the familiar feel of the smooth ivory hilt under her fingers.

"Huorns." She answered automatically. "They are Huorns, spirit-inhabited trees."

"Indeed they are, and Eruanna likes to climb them." A new voice sounded behind them, and they whipped around to see Calimo standing there, a bland look on his face. They cringed, waiting for a scolding.

"That statue is very fun to climb, if you want to try. The head is a very comfortable spot as well." Calimo added nonchalantly, though inwardly he was laughing along with the other unclad Maiar who were watching. The elves stared at him in confusion, bewildered, and Calimo raised an eyebrow. "Well? The fountain has a secret door I can show you as well." He said conspiratorially, and in a moment Eruanna was bolting for the statue.

Calimo grinned and winked, placing a finger on his lips, to which the other two older and _supposedly_ more matured elves grinned back and nodded. Eruanna was already at the top of the statue, sitting on the head precariously and giggling happily. Ingalaurë and Ecthelion snickered at her as she nearly toppled into the fountain, grabbing onto the nose of the statue to stop herself.

Calimo and the other Maiar laughed hysterically at the sight of the elfling hanging onto the nose of the statue of lord Nàmo, happily humming to herself as she hauled herself back up. The two elves collapsed laughing, rolling on the stone floor. Then Calimo waved them over to the fountain, Eruanna peering down to see them.

"Eruanna, the finger of lord Nàmo is the lever, and the door is here." He pointed to the back of the statue, smiling at them secretively. "In case anything happens, you know." He shrugged, and they grinned happily, beginning to list ridiculous reasons for why they would need an escape.

"Maybe Feänor and his sons will come rampaging through, throwing tapestry nets on everyone." Ecthelion suggested, and they laughed, not even noticing that Calimo had thought himself away.

And then, other feä began to come into the room, and were greeted enthusiastically by the three who began a riotous game of catch-me. Soon there were elves running about, shrieking in glee as they were caught and chased in return.

But then Calimo returned, and let them in on a little conspiracy...

*By Manwë's beard, what is going on?* Nàmo asked his Maiar, hearing the din of shrieking elves from where he sat in a remote area of the halls.

*Master, they're- there's been a-!* but the answer was cut off by a grunt, and Nàmo stood, decisively heading for the source of the chaos.

*My beard? But I don't have a beard!* Manwë complained as Ulmo from his demesne laughed himself silly at the thought. Nàmo rolled his eyes.

*Maybe you should try one, then, I'm sure Varda would appreciate it, as would Ingwë and Olwë.* He quipped, making Manwë huff and the rest of the Valar roar at the very thought.

When he arrived, it was to nearly be trampled by a crowd of screaming, terrified elves. He jumped aside, staring after the fleeing elves in surprise as they disappeared. Two of his Maiar appeared, seeming distraught.

"Forgive us, my lord. We weren't expecting them to do that..." Elemmartamirë said apologetically as Nàmo brushed off his robe. He raised an eyebrow.

"And what exactly caused them to do so?" He asked in a mild tone that didn't fool them. Calimo grimaced.

"Ah... They were... Trying to climb the statue in the fountain." He replied, and Nàmo blinked in surprise, caught off-guard. Then he gave them a puzzled look.

"But how did they even know where that room w- go get them, will you?" He cut himself off and then moved towards the room again as his Maiar bowed and hurried down the hallway. If Nàmo would have paused, what he would have heard would have bewildered him.

"Did we do well, Calimo? Was it real enough?" One of the elves asked, and the two Maiar smiled and nodded.

"It was very well done, thank you all." Calimo answered, and then ushered them back into their halls, where the feär resumed their play happily enough.

But he did not, and thus arrived in the room to find Ecthelion and Eruanna and Ingalaurë giggling as they climbed over the statue. Nàmo sighed inwardly, shaking his head to himself.

"What. Are you doing." He demanded frigidly, and the three elves froze, turning as one to look at him. Then with a yelp, Eruanna fell onto the outstretched hand of his statue, then into the fountain below. The other two threw themselves into the water and disappeared behind the statue as well, while Nàmo shook his head again.

"Come out, you three. You cannot hide forever." He said with slight amusement, and went to the other side of the fountain- to find that they were not there. Instead, there was a door opened in the back of the statue. Nàmo stared, and then groaned.

"Who taught them about that!?" He groused, and then made his own way down the staircase that the door led to. When he arrived at the foot of the stairs, he wended his way through the hallway to the last door at the very end, from where voices issued.

"I don't remember seeing this place before. What do you think it was for?" Ecthelion asked.

"I don't know. Look at this!" Ingalaurë crowed, and Nàmo rounded the corner to see that the ellon was sitting on the chair that Melkor had once occupied, his legs swinging down, since after all one elf was not as large as a Vala. Eruanna squeaked from her perch on the back of the chair and in a moment the three had dived behind the chair and Nàmo was left there in slight annoyance.

"Enough, you three. Come here." He ordered coldly, and was once again met with silence. He sighed and made his way around the chair to see that the three had made their way also around the chair and escaped through another door. Nàmo headed for the door, muttering imprecations under his breath. He made his way through the door and finally found the three peppering the two Maiar who guarded the door with questions.

However, the Maiar didn't answer, faces stoic and impassive, even forbidding. Nàmo snorted to himself. He would show them forbidding alright.

"Come." And with that, he swung the three up into his arms as they winced at being caught, marching down the hall. Eruanna peered around his arm and waved shyly at the two Maiar. Ecthelion also did the same.

"Good bye." He whispered sadly, and Ingalaurë also peeked over Nàmo's shoulder. If Nàmo had looked back, he would have seen the two Maiar wink and wriggle their fingers back before resuming guard duty.

Finally Nàmo arrived back at the main hall and set them down, raising his eyebrow at them. "And what, exactly, made you think that that was a good idea?" He asked them, unimpressed, and they swallowed.

"Umm... We were... bored?" Ecthelion offered sheepishly. Eruanna sidled up to Nàmo, snuggling into his robe and clutching his leg.

"Thorry, Atto. We won' be bad 'gain." She lisped, giving him her best remorseful look, which the two others copied. Nàmo sighed.

"Very well. I shall hold you to your word." He said sternly, and they nodded frantically.

And then he had sent them off to play in their proper places, and had gone to Vairë with a complaint. "How did they even know about that door? No one but the Maiar know of it, certainly not any of the other elves." He said, sitting down and sighing.

"True. As do the Valar." She answered him flippantly, though an amused smile was curling on her lips.

Nàmo did a double take. "You di- why?" He asked, confused. She laughed at him softly, pausing in her weaving to draw him in for a loving kiss.

"Because you needed to lighten up, my beloved, and who better than our daughter?" She answered, and he sighed, drawing her into his arms.

"You had better be glad I love you." He growled, but she only laughed, knowing that he didn't mean it.

And Calimo laughed himself silly along with the other three conspirators as they retold the tale for his benefit.

* * *

 **Just a note for those who are interested in learning more.**

 **Ayanumuz: Valarin for what the Valar call themselves.**

 **The Valar and Maiar have their own language which is called Valarin. Tolkien didn't write too much about it or fully create it like he did his two Elven dialects, Sindarin and Quenya, but it is there. You can look them up on the Internet for further information and reference. The Valar will probably never use the term 'Valar' for themselves, though they will certainly answer to it. The Maiar will probably call their masters the Valar, however, for the sake of the Amanians.**

 **The Maiar Calimo and Elemmartamirë belong to Fiondil, who I have been presumptuous to borrow, so all credit goes to him. #RIPFiondil May we meet in the land beyond the sea where a swift sunrise comes over a far green land and white shores!**

 **For all those who wonder where Ingalaurë comes from, he is the canonical son of Ingwë High King of the Vanyar and the rest of the elves, those who are closest to Manwë and Varda. He also had a twin brother named Ingwion, who was considered next in line to the throne should Ingwë be put out of commission. In Fiondil's version of the chaos that took place after the darkening of the two trees, Ingalaurë was tragically killed in an accident that had to do with their treacherous uncle Ingoldo. This is what I am going by.**


	4. Rebirth, Relearning, and Remembering

**Hi guys! Sorry that this is so late, but I wasn't happy with the chapter and so I fixed it and then it all got whacked out because one chapter was too long and another was too short and I was rather annoyed at fixing it and I was busy and lazy and- yeah. You get the point. But anywayyyyys... Thank you for all of the faves, follows, and reviews! You guys really make my day.**

 **Important question: do you guys have any interest in Ingalaurë? Because I was debating writing a bit more about him, but I don't want to spend effort if no one is interested in him...**

 **But anyways, as usual, please**

 **Read!**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Review!**

 **WARNING:** **One section of disturbing imagery. Read at your own risk.**

* * *

Chapter 3

It had been seventy years since Eruanna had entered the halls of Mandos. She had not needed to sleep for three years of the sun at a time, and Nàmo had decided along with Manwë that it was high time that she be reborn, along with several other elves. It was actually nearing the date when Eruanna had first entered the halls in the first place, and the Reborn are always released on the day of their entry into the halls.

So when Nàmo went to find Eruanna, he found her along with Ecthelion and Ingalaurë sitting in their usual room, watching the others play with smiles on their faces. They stood and bowed when lord Nàmo came into the room, and he nodded, beckoning for them to follow him.

Then he led them to a hallway where there were three tapestries hanging on a wall side-by-side and between two pillars. There was a very large, empty space underneath each tapestry, about the height of Nàmo. The three of them looked at him, confused, and he gave them a thin smile, gesturing slightly to the tapestries.

Eruanna looked up at them, and felt a wave of sudden fear, sorrow, and yet exhilaration sweep through her. One of them was a picture of her otorno's death, an event which she remembered so very well.

It depicted an elf dressed in silver armor with a blue cloak dotted with diamonds, drowning in a body of water. His hair was inky blue, a strange, almost ironical or resigned smile on his face, and eyes closed. It was a disturbing smile, really. His hair swirled about in the water, and a helmet floated away at the edge of the tapestry. It had a sharp point at the tip, studded with diamonds.

She shivered, and then looked to the other one. It showed Ingalaurë as an ellon with soft blonde locks and greenish-silver eyes- falling from a tall building. His face was in a terrible expression of mingled hatred and fear, and sent chills through her. She swallowed and then ripped her eyes away to see her own tapestry, and turned pale.

It showed her sitting on the ground, eyes an almost pitch black, blank and staring at nothing, spattered with blood and a stream of it falling down the corner of her lips.

She took in a shaky breath and then looked to lord Nàmo. She vaguely noticed that Ecthelion and Ingalaurë were doing the same, and Nàmo looked at them gravely.

"It is time, my children, for you to be reborn." Nàmo stated, and they started, looking at him with uncertainty. Eruanna, however, was nearly panicked. If she was reborn, where would she go? Was there anyone who would take her in?

Nàmo gave her a small smile as he divined her thoughts. "Do not worry, for we would not release any of you if there were no one to take you in. Now, only you can choose to be reborn. All you must do is find the way." He said, sweeping a hand to the tapestries, which they turned to look at.

Each one of them had unconsciously positioned themselves in front of the tapestry that depicted their deaths. Looking at each other, they shrugged, and then Ecthelion grinned.

"Well, see you on the other side, then." He shrugged, and turned to his tapestry. A door suddenly materialized, and Ecthelion grasped the handle, turning it and then disappearing through the door willingly enough. Nàmo was smiling faintly, though none of them saw it.

Eruanna, seeing that Ecthelion was leaving and her fears put to rest by lord Nàmo, shrugged and then smiled faintly. She reached forwards, and before her hand contacted the wall, there was a handle there. She happened to glance at Ingalaurë and noted that he was looking extremely uncertain, and paused.

"Ingil?" She asked hesitantly. He looked to her, and hung his head.

"I- I don't know... Who's going to be there for me? And- and what if I'm not happy where I'm taken in?" He asked, anguished at the thought. Eruanna stepped towards him and then hugged him.

"You can stay with me if you don't like it, or I can stay with you." She promised. "Cause I love you, Ingil." She confided with child-like surety. Ingil smiled then, and hugged her back.

"Thank you. I'll hold you to that, then." He said, and his own door materialized. Eruanna let go, and with a grin at her, he disappeared into his door and she was left alone. Then she turned to Nàmo who stood there patiently.

"Thank you, Atto." She said softly, looking down and shuffling her feet. "I- I'll try to be good..." Then she swallowed and impulsively threw her arms around his leg before diving through the door and slamming it shut behind her.

If she would have stayed, she would have been treated to the sight of Nàmo laughing. "Oh dearest child, you and Glorfindel always did enter life with a bang!"

And the Maiar and Valar laughed along with him riotously.

*So, which Maia gets to take care of a newly Reborn Eruanna Glorfindelithel?* Manwë queried. There was a silence on all frequencies as the message was passed to all the Maiar as well.

Then, *I will, my lord!* issued from the mental lips of several scores of Maiar.

Nàmo rolled his eyes. *Manwë, I think we may have a little problem...*

But Manwë, if he said anything, was left unheard as all the Maiar began to fight for the honor of taking care of Eruanna. And Nàmo laughed, the sound of it ringing through his demesne and causing all the feär who heard it to smile, though they were not sure why.

LOTRLOTRLOTR

"Ada?" Finrod Felagund called to his father, King Arafinwë, coming into the room. The King looked up at his son with a smile from where he sat next to his son-in-law Celeborn and daughter Galadriel. Eärwen looked up from nearby.

Finrod waved a letter in his hands. "Lord Nàmo and Irmo want to know if we would accept another two Reborn to care for. They say that it is merely a request and not an order, and that if we should accept Glorfindel would be very grateful." He answered, handing the letter to his father who took it.

Finrod noticed the look that passed between Celeborn and Galadriel. "Do you know them, Galadriel?" He asked his sister curiously. His sister gave him a slight smile.

"You will have to find out for yourself, Findárato. I think you would enjoy it very much." She answered knowingly, leaning into a slightly smiling Celeborn.

"Hmmm. Now I'm intrigued. You never did speak very much about the third age." Finrod said, glancing to his father, who looked up from the letter. Arafinwë feigned a resigned sigh.

"Well, Eärwen, my love, it looks as though we'll have two more elflings to care for now." He said dryly, and Eärwen laughed lightly.

"And you know you will accept them as your own, my love." She answered, and he gave her an amused smile.

"That all depends. If they're anything like Glorfindel, I don't think I'll be able to handle it." And he languished in his chair with a groan as they all laughed riotously.

"So I'll take that as a yes, Ada?" Finrod asked cheekily, giving his father an innocent grin. Arafinwë smiled fondly at him.

"Of course, Finda, if only because of our love for Glorfindel." He answered, and they all laughed at the thought that that image evoked in their minds of older times when Glorfindel was a whining elfling who loved to make trouble for the Valar.

LOTRLOTRLOTR

When Eruanna woke up next, it was to have difficulty opening her eyes. She squinted them, or at least she thought she did, and then managed to peel them open. She slammed them back shut in protest at the light that burned her eyes and made them water painfully.

"Slowly now, Eruanna. Don't rush it too much." A voice told her gently, and she took in a deep breath, obeying the voice. And then she blinked as her eyes adjusted to the light.

There was a Maia in front of her, smiling gently from where he sat on the edge of her bed. "Welcome to life, Eruanna Glorfindelithel." He said softly. She smiled, or at least she thought she did, since all she really felt was a slight twitch. The Maia chuckled.

"Don't worry too much, Eruanna. Your feä needs to get used to being back in a hroä." The Maia said. Without consciously thinking about it, she attempted to speak as she did in the halls of Mandos, and was shocked to hear a little squeak escape her throat.

She looked at the Maia, wide eyed, and he smiled broadly. "Yes, Eruanna. You can speak once more with your throat, now that you have a new hroä." He said, and she felt tears coursing down her cheeks in joy and awe at the thought. The Maia wiped them away and smiled.

"Now, why don't you eat this? You will need to get used to eating again." He said, and helped her to sit up. She found that she couldn't move very well, barely twitching a finger for herself. But she trusted the Maia, and obediently ate the stew that was held up to her lips.

The taste of the broth exploded on her tongue, and she nearly gagged at the shock of the strong taste. Then she managed to swallow with a gasp, head spinning at the sensation that assaulted her long-unused senses. The Maia patiently waited for her to open her mouth for the next bite, and she ate eagerly after that as she remembered the taste of salt and the greens.

She gave him a questioning look shyly, and he smiled. "My name is Fionwë, and I am a Maia under lord Manwë." He answered her silent question. Then he grinned at her cheekily. "I had to fight off my brethren for the honor of tending to you." He winked, and she stopped eating to stare at him in bewilderment. He threw back his head and laughed, and Eruanna took a moment to study him.

There was only one way she knew how to describe him. Pretty. He was a very pretty Maia. His hair was almost white, but the more she looked the more she realized that it was actually a very, very light lavender color. His face was also pale, and his hair came down to his torso. His eyes were a more pronounced lavender color than his hair, and his eyelashes were long and the same color as his hair.

"Yes, indeed, I did, for most of the Maiar know of your brother and are fond of him. It is an honor to care for you, for your own sake." He said, smiling, and Eruanna felt tears in her eyes as the simple beauty of that smile smote her heart.

"Y-you're s-so pretty." She heard herself blurt clumsily, and then blushed hotly, turning her head to look down at the sheets. Her cheeks were burning and she was sure they would catch on fire. But Fionwë only laughed.

"Why, thank you, Eruanna. I suppose that makes us a nice pair, doesn't it? Two very pretty beings." He chuckled, and she peered up at him to see that he was grinning at her in all sincerity. She smiled back shyly, or at least tried her best to, and felt her eyelashes flutter sleepily.

"Sleep. It is natural for you to rest much to get your feä accustomed to the new hroä." Fionwë comforted, and with those words she fell asleep peacefully.

LOTRLOTRLOTR

The next time she woke up, it was to see that Fionwë was bustling about the cottage busily, setting things in order. She felt a sudden tightening in her stomach and squirmed uncomfortably. Fionwë immediately was at her side, helping her out of the bed and settling her over a chamber pot before she really realized what was happening.

When she finally registered the wetness and the feeling of Fionwë wiping her tenderly before changing her gown, she merely shook her head in resignation and a feeling of embarrassment. Fionwë merely smiled at her in sympathy.

"There is nothing to be ashamed of. Even Glorfindel did the same. Every Reborn must learn to do things for themselves all over again." He said conversationally, setting her at rest, easily cleaning out the pot and settling the blankets around her.

This time she found that she could move her fingers and toes, and managed to clutch Fionwë's sleeve before he could leave. She looked down and then peered back up, begging him with her eyes to stay a little longer. He smiled and sat next to her, and she sighed in relief, curling herself into his side. He placed an arm around her and hummed gently, rocking until she fell asleep once more.

The days passed in similar ways until she could finally begin stumbling around awkwardly, moving from her bed to the door and collapsing into Fionwë's arms in exhaustion but with a sense of satisfaction of relearning something new.

Fionwë often praised her, but she merely shook her head, smiling at him gratefully for his help. She didn't speak too often, but Fionwë assured her that it was natural that she didn't, since she was so used to not speaking out loud. It was a subconscious knowledge that she needed to move past, which would happen in due time.

Finally, though, she decided that she needed to make a conscious effort to speak, since she could now walk and even dress herself, albeit clumsily. So the next time she woke up with a pinching stomach and feeling restless, she looked to Fionwë.

"F-Fionwë?" She managed, tripping over the words, her tongue feeling thick in her mouth. In a moment he was by her side with smile.

"That's it, Eruanna. Slowly. What do you need?" He asked, helping her sit up.

"I-I'm hun-hungr-y." She said, and then blinked at the sound of her own voice. Fionwë made no comment but merely brought her a bowl of stew with fresh bread which she took gratefully. But for a moment she merely stared down at it blankly, absently noting the vegetables that floated on the top of the liquid and stared back at her.

Her voice. It was... Soft. Quiet. Gentle. Musical, as was every elf's voice. But she heard something in it that almost troubled herself. It had a note in it that sounded... Dark. She had no doubt that if she were to attempt to speak ominously, she could do it as no one else might be able to. Her eyebrows furrowed. Well, try it then.

"I-It is t-time." She spoke slowly and softly in dark surety, feeling it pass her lips and spill into the air like a bottle of black ink, staining the air. She pursed her lips. It was most certainly dark. Then she shrugged, feeling almost pleased at the thought of carrying a slight piece of her shadowed past into her present self. Not that she missed that past, but it was more a sense of having a trophy to carry with her in remembrance of what she had gone through and survived, however much scarred.

Then she tried a different tack. "T-thank you, Fionwë." She said bashfully, and was pleased with her voice this time. It was smooth and albeit her stutter very pleasant-sounding on the whole. It almost reminded her of her brother's voice as well, golden and yet silver.

Fionwë gave her a piercing look, and she blushed. "I-I wanted to h-hear it. I-it reminds me of w-what I had to... g-go through." She attempted to explain, and his face softened.

"I understand." He said gently. "Now, eat." He said sternly, and she gave him a jaundiced look.

"Yes nana. O-okay n-nana. Anything y-you say, nana." She said bitingly, and he laughed heartily as she tucked into her meal, his hand smoothing her hair.

"And if you're good and eat it all I may even allow you to go out and play." He winked, and she rolled her eyes at him as she crammed a piece of the bread into her mouth. He chuckled.

True to his word, when she had eaten it all he took her outside. She took in a deep breath, feeling her chest expand with life. A sudden feeling of gratitude overwhelmed her, and she began to weep for joy. Joy at being alive, joy at being whole and clean, of having a new start at life, free of the burdens and pains of the past. The death of Ciaran still intensely sorrowed her, but she was no longer pushed to the brink of insanity by the pain, and she managed to come to a tentative acceptance that he was in a better place now.

Fionwë gathered her gently into his arms as she wept, and she clung to him, burying her face into his tunic. When she finally calmed down, she slumped into his grasp, exhausted. Then she sighed shakily, looking up at Fionwë who smiled down at her gently.

"I luff you, Fionwë." She mumbled sleepily, feeling deliriously happy as she snuggled into him, soaking up his touch. His eyes softened as he smoothed her hair gently.

"And I you, little one." He answered tenderly, and she fell asleep. He placed her back in bed, tucking her in as she slumbered on.

*I think she's almost ready, don't you, Fionwë?* Nàmo bespoke the Maia amusedly through ósanwe.

*Yes, my lord, I do believe so- although I will mourn when my time to watch over her is over.* Fionwë sighed in return, cleaning up the small cabin.

*Ah, but you may still keep an eye on her from time to time, Fionwë, since she trusts you.* Manwë said with a chuckle. *Like Nornoros did for Ingalaurë and Ingwion when they were young. A guardian Maia, so to speak.*

Fionwë grinned. *Thank you, my lord. Although I may have to get in line, since Manveru and Erunáro are clamoring for a chance.* He answered slyly, and was rewarded with the laughter of his lords and the hearty agreement from the twin Maiar.

LOTRLOTRLOTR

So the days passed even more, until Eruanna was finally fully capable of moving about and taking care of her own needs by herself. However, she was still not quite in control of her fine motor skills and was still in awe of her surroundings as she experienced many things for the first time all over again.

Like the first time she stayed awake long enough to see the stars. She had wept at the sight of them, listening to their cold, distant, mysterious, joyous song for the first time she had been reborn. Fionwë had had to sing her to sleep on account of her overwhelmed senses that wouldn't allow her to fall asleep herself.

And then, of course, came the inevitable night when she woke up alone in the middle of the night. It wasn't being alone that scared her. It was the dark. And her nightmares.

She had dreamed of her time in Angband, remembering many of the times she had been tortured until she had blacked out from the pain. That particular night, she had dreamed of one particular time that she had not thought of for a long time, for her mind had blocked it out previously for the sheer horror that accompanied it.

 _It had been dark. Oh, so very dark. The single torch had been taken away, and there was nothing but the smothering, predatory, parasitic darkness, leeching the life out of her. She could feel her breath surround her, slick against her skin. And then she could feel an orc enter the room, and opened her eyes to see a dim torch being set on the wall. It barely allowed her to see anything._

 _"What are we going to do with this?" One orc had growled at another, and she heard a bucket being rattled. The orc cackled._

 _"Sport, you ninny." It had sneered, and the bucket had clanked as it had transferred from one hand to another. She had closed her eyes tightly in anticipation of the pain._

 _But when it came, she had not been prepared for it, not nearly enough. Screams echoed through her mind, and her voice box had been rendered powerless and utterly useless. Pain consumed her whole body, burning like lava._

 _The hot, molten, boiling tar had covered her body, trailing down her skin, sticky and black, consuming her skin and sticking to it like a parasitic leech. And the cackling had gone on as her vision had been covered by the tar, black and stifling, sucking all the air from her lungs as the screams had gone on and on for what seemed to be forever until blessed unconsciousness took over..._

Eruanna flew up, screaming in terror and flailing, drowning in the innocent blankets that tangled around her limbs, slowly rendering her vulnerable and unable to move. She didn't even realize she was screaming until she had to stop for air, gasping for breath.

There was a bright light, and she continued screaming in terror as Fionwë appeared in concern. "Eruanna, penneth!" He shouted over her screams, and she launched herself at him, sweat-soaked and shaking violently, teeth chattering.

She sobbed. "Too dark, Fionwë! Glorfy! Glorfy!" She wailed, weeping her heart out as she searched futilely for her brother. Fionwë hushed her gently, rocking her soothingly.

"Shhh. It's okay, little one. See?" He asked, and lighted a candle next to her bed with a single thought. "I'll leave that there from now on in the nights." He promised gently, and her tremors slowly ceased.

"I'm sorry." She whispered into his shoulder. "I just... The dream... Dark..." She sniffled, and he hushed her.

"There's no need to apologize, my sweet. Did you know that Findárato did the exact same thing?" He asked, trying to divert her mind from her fears as he sat down, still holding her.

She sniffed. "Really?" She asked, and he nodded gravely.

"Yes, and he wanted a candle." He said in all seriousness, then gave her a wink. "And lord Nàmo gave him a stuffed toy, too." He said slyly, and Eruanna managed a giggle at that thought.

"Why don't I get one?" She whined playfully, and he chuckled.

"If you asked him I'm sure he would give you one." He answered, and she gave him a calculating look. He stifled a laugh and merely smiled, maybe a little too widely, stroking her hair. Then she smiled and reached up, bestowing a kiss on his cheek.

*Aww no fair, you got one and I don't!* Olòrin said teasingly, and Fionwë stuck out his tongue, making the other Maiar laugh themselves silly at Olòrin's huff.

"Thank you, my dear." Fionwë said gravely, and kissed her brow. She smiled shyly and snuggled up to him, yawning.

"Wuv you, Fionwë." She slurred, and then slowly fell asleep. Fionwë smiled, pleased, and then tucked her in, singing softly.

*Such a pretty Maia, who could not give him a kiss?* Eonwë piped in slyly, and Fionwë groaned as Olòrin roared, avenged.

*Eonwë, you are going to pay for that!* Fionwë mock-growled, but the herald merely smirked.

*Personally, I have to agree.* Manwë interjected off-handedly, and there was a silence before the Maiar burst into laughter. Fionwë sighed.

*Yes master. Poor me, always being picked on.* Fionwë bemoaned his fate, though his grin belied his words. Manwë chuckled.

*And I wouldn't have you any other way, my child.* He said fondly, a breeze ruffling the Maia's hair as he smiled.

*Thank you, my master.* He answered, and with a chuckle, Manwë faded away.

Fionwë was left to keep watch over Eruanna's now-peaceful sleep, hair tousled and mouth slightly open in breath.

LOTRLOTRLOTR

Eruanna was working in the garden. She had been set to work by Niondil, Maia of Nienna, in weeding a small bed of greens. At first she had been confused on what to do, but then Niondil had assured her to just follow her senses.

So she had sat there for a moment staring at the plants, face drawn into concentration. Niondil, unbeknownst to her, had watched her carefully as he resumed his own work of deadheading a rose bush.

Then her eyes had lit up. She touched one of the plants and listened to its song carefully. The one she touched sang of hidden power with a voice that reminded her of echoes in a stone hall, the sound of it suggesting joy in her tender touch. She smiled, pulling away, and then moved to another plant.

Then she had placed a hand on the taller plant and frowned. It sang of consuming, pilfering, snatching, greedy hoarding. With a wrinkle of the nose, she pulled it out by the roots and set it aside, moving on to the next. Soon she had weeded all of the bed, and had a pile of weeds set aside, which she gathered together.

Then she turned to Niondil hesitantly, unsure of the reception of her work. Niondil smiled and studied the bundle she held for inspection, and then pulled one out. "You have done exceptionally well, my dear. This one, however, is an herb that can be replanted." He said, and she nodded.

Despite her failure at knowing that, she was altogether pleased at the praise of the Maia and in the knowledge that she had done as well as she knew how. He nodded at her.

"Yes, you have done the best you knew how, and to try is all we ask of anyone." He said gently, and she nodded, obediently following his instructions how to replant the herb properly. Then he led her to a rose bush and began to show her how to deadhead it. She went about the task well enough at first, but slowly she lagged and then suddenly stopped, face twisting.

Then for apparently no reason, she burst into tears. Niondil immediately came and set her down on his knee where he knelt, hushing her gently. "There's no reason to cry, little one." He said kindly, wiping away her tears.

She slowly calmed, sniffling and looking progressively ashamed. "I'm sorry. I don't know why I'm crying." She said, giving him a chagrined look. He smiled understandingly.

"But I do. You weep because you feel as though you are killing something, don't you?" He asked. She blinked, and then slowly nodded.

"And you are." He said baldly. "But there is a lesson in this, child. When you kill that part of the plant, you are actually making way for a better one to grow in its place. Unless a grain of wheat fall into the ground and die, it remains alone- but if it dies, it produces much fruit. You understand?" He asked gently, and she thought carefully.

Then she nodded slowly, turning to look back at the plant with a new, thoughtful look. "I-I see." She said quietly, and he smiled.

"Good. That is good. Now, why don't we go have something to eat?" He asked cheerfully, and standing, led her gently from the garden and back to her cabin where Fionwë was waiting with a glass of cookies and a decanter of Hawthorne juice. There was another Maia there as well, and as they neared Eruanna saw him.

He turned and smiled, and a bolt of recognition went through her, making her stop, a hesitant and unsure look on her face. The Maia smiled. "Don't you remember your good friend, Eruanna?" He asked, and she gasped.

He was quite distinctive, with hair that was a white-gold that sparkled in the light. His eyes were violet, and his grin was infectiously familiar. Then she laughed and threw herself at him.

"Olòrin!" She cried, and he hugged her gently with a laugh.

"Yes, Eruanna, it is I." He answered, and winked as he pulled away. She giggled and then sat down happily, reaching for Fionwë.

"Cookie!" She pleaded, and Fionwë laughed, handing her one and pouring glasses of juice. She munched happily on the cookie, her feet swinging from her chair. Just then, another being materialized beside her.

"Are those Nienna's cookies? They are delicious." Nàmo said calmly, reaching for one, but before he could he was presented with an armful of elfling.

"Atto!" Eruanna fairly shrieked, hugging him and scattering cookie crumbs everywhere on his lap. He threw back his head and laughed, gathering her up and hugging her.

"Yes, yeldë, it is your Atto." He replied amusedly, and she smiled brightly, stuffing another cookie into her mouth as the Maiar bowed.

Nàmo smiled at them and nodded, and they sat. "Have you enjoyed your time with Fionwë, child?" He asked, and she glanced at Fionwë in reply, who was smiling gently. She swallowed her mouthful.

"No. Nana wouldn't let me have any fun." She pouted, though the twinkle in her eyes belied her words. Fionwë gave her an affronted look as Nàmo and Olòrin roared. But Fionwë soon joined them as Eruanna giggled.

"You said you wouldn't be bad." Nàmo said gravely, giving her a stern look, but she only gave him a cheeky grin.

"I said I'd try. And I have. But I didn't say how long I'd try." She said slyly, and it was Fionwë's turn to howl at Nàmo's face as Eruanna smirked triumphantly. Then Nàmo rolled his eyes amusedly.

"So that is how it works, is it? I see." He said, and chuckled. Then he sobered. "There is someone who wishes to see you, Eruanna, will you not come and see him?" He asked, and she blinked before nodding.

"O-okay, Atto." She answered, and he smiled as he stood. The he began to lead her away when she stopped, face twisting.

"W-what about Fionwë?" She asked, looking back at the Maia, who came forwards and knelt before her.

"Go, child. I have other duties too, you know, and I must see to them. But fear not! We shall meet again, many more times." He winked, and she relaxed.

"Kay. Bye, Fionwë. Bye Olòrin!" She said, and waving, turned and ran after Nàmo again. Fionwë shook his head with a chuckle to Olòrin as they thought themselves away.

*Such a precious child, as all of them are.* He said amusedly.

*Indeed.* Was Olòrin's only reply.


	5. Learning Life's Lessons in Lórien

**Well... I've finally updated. *dodges flying books* I know, I know, I've been bad! I'm sorry! But really, I was traveling and I finally got back home and I've been settling back in and I started school again and generally haven't had time to write at all. But I'm finally here again, mostly thanks to SamandJake for PMing me and giving me a good kick in the pants to start again. Thanks, my friend! ;)**

 **Thank you again for all of the reviews, favorites, and follows, and as usual, please**

 **Read!**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Review**

* * *

Chapter 5

When they arrived at the entrance to the garden where Eruanna had been staying, Nàmo paused and smiled at her gently. "Here we must part, dearest." He said gently. "Go on, he is waiting for you." He said, and then faded away. Eruanna stood there for a moment, feeling confused and unsure of what to do, then decided to follow Nàmo's words and made her way to the gate.

She pushed it open and exited- to see someone there waiting for her. Someone with pale blue hair and amazingly blue eyes ringed with gold. Without even realizing it she bowed deeply, and a moment later was drawn into a hug by a smiling Manwë.

"It is good to see you too, Eruanna, child." He chuckled, and she smiled shyly. "Have you had a good time with Fionwë?" He asked, though she suspected he knew.

"I like Fionwë." She answered shyly, and Manwë chuckled.

"For which I am happy. Welcome to life, dear one." He kissed her brow, and she shivered in delight at the feeling of love and approval that swept through her. Her natural Elven glow grew marginally brighter for a moment, the light of the Valar in her feä flaring in response to the Vala's approval before dimming once more. Manwë smiled.

"Now, I'll leave you with Manveru, who will guide you where you are to go." He said, and with a flash of light, a new Maia appeared, red-haired and green eyed. She blinked, and then with a smile Manwë faded into the fabric of reality and she was left with Manveru.

"Greetings, Eruanna." Manveru said gently, and she bobbed a curtesy in her small white gown. Manveru chuckled and then handed her a small bag.

"This has a few things in it you may need." He said, and she took it.

"Thank you." She reminded herself to say. He nodded.

"Come." And held out his hand. She took it without hesitation, and he led her forwards. When she looked back, she was only vaguely surprised to see that the gate wasn't there any longer. And when she looked forwards, she noticed that there was something else that she was sure hadn't been there last time she had looked.

It was a garden arch, with a vine climbing up the sides, arching over their heads and providing cooling shade, for the day was warm. Manveru let go of her hand and gave her a faint smile.

"Here we must part, little one. Enter, and go on in whatever way you will." He said, and then with a wider smile, disappeared. Eruanna sighed. She supposed she should get used to the Maiar and Valar appearing and disappearing now. So clutching the bag in her hands, she walked through the arch and further in.

In a few moments, she came upon a new door set in a wall that stretched past her vision. The door was Mithril, and on each panel of the door was painted one of the two trees. She stared at them in awe for a moment, one of them painted with silver leaves and the other with gold, then with a swallow pushed the doors open.

She stepped through hesitantly, and the doors closed behind her. She walked forwards warily, and finally came upon a fork in the path. There were three different paths to choose from, and she paused to look at them.

Okay, so it was a maze? Eruanna tilted her head, and then shrugged. Manveru had said that she could go on whatever way she would, so she finally decided to choose the center path. She wasn't quite sure why, although the more she thought about it the more she supposed that she didn't have a reason at all, but just took the path that was in front of her because it was the nearest.

Finally, after winding a few times, she came upon another fork in the path that branched another three ways. Then she blinked, shifting the bag in her hand. Remembering that Manveru had said she might need the bag, she decided to open it up and look inside. She pulled out a small walking staff, a water skin, and finally a sprig of fresh asëa aranion. She took the walking staff into her hand and then closed the bag again, turning to the paths.

"Well. I guess I've been given these for a purpose, so I'll just use them." She spoke aloud, just for the sensation of hearing herself. The left path seemed to slope downwards, while the middle path went on straight, and the right path seemed to go up.

"I've obviously been given the staff for a reason, so..." She muttered to herself, and then chose the right hand path. It soon began to slope upwards steeply, and she paused after a while, taking a drink from her water skin before pressing on upwards.

"I cannot go back. I will not go back. I have chosen this path, and to go back would be to waste time and effort." She told herself, and then went on.

She finally, arrived at the top of the hill, and then looked down- and nearly wept, tears starting to her eyes. There was a barren wasteland, and beyond that another hill. She sighed wearily, feeling discouraged.

*It is not this hill, little one, but the next.* A voice suddenly spoke up, and she looked up with a blink. There was no one in sight, however, and she stood, looking back over the valley to the next hill.

"I have a choice to go back. But who's to say that another path might not be worse?" She reasoned with herself. "And what is beyond the other hill? Why is it that one and not this one? Then again, I was given this staff, and staffs are meant to be used to climb. All signs seem to point this way. Therefore, I will go this way." She finally decided, and with renewed resolve began to pick her way down the slope.

When she arrived at the bottom, she realized that it would be quite a while until she got to the next hill, so she pulled out her water skin. It would have to do for a while yet, so she sloshed it and found it to still be nearly full. Almost without consciously thinking about it, she immediately found herself rationing it in her mind until she had figured out how much she should drink now.

She blinked, unsure how she knew how to do such a thing, and then with a shrug drank a few mouthfuls before packing it up again and setting off. It was difficult, but by the time she got to the end and looked back, sweating and tired, she felt both pleased and yet put out.

Pleased that she had made it, and put out for several reasons.

One, why had she been given such a difficult path? Or rather, why had someone encouraged her to take it? And other thing, why had she even decided to take such a prompt? Then rolling her eyes in disgust, she sat back down and drank.

"Oh well. It's already been done, so I suppose by the time I get to the end I'll have realized why I took this path." She sighed, and after a few more minutes began the last struggle upwards. Several times she nearly slipped and fell, but she finally collapsed at the top, gasping and exhausted. Leaning against a tree, she drank the rest of her water and then looked to the other side- only for her vision to be consumed with black spots until she blacked out completely.

LOTRLOTRLOTR

When Eruanna awoke, it was to see a face smiling down at her. "Easy now, little one. Here." Something was lifted to her lips, and she drank gratefully. Mirúvorë! She felt herself immediately refreshed and sat up slowly, vision gradually clearing until she felt steady once more.

Then she looked up to see that she was in a pavilion with- Nàmo. And another Vala, with white hair and pale blue eyes, a smile gracing his gentle features. His face was soft in its curves, gentle and reassuring.

"Atto?" She whispered, and Nàmo smiled.

"Well done, yeldë." He answered, drawing a hand through her hair gently. Her confusion must have shown, for the other Vala who she recognized as Irmo chuckled.

"The maze was a test, child. Until now, decisions have been made for you, have they not?" Irmo asked. She nodded.

"Therefore, the maze is there for you to make your own decisions. We wanted to see what sort of choices that you would make in the maze, for they are a reflection of your personality, who you are now, and also who you were in the past." He said.

"Can you tell my brother and I why you chose the paths that you did?" Nàmo asked, and she blinked, thinking carefully how to answer. The Feänturi waited patiently.

Then she finally answered. "The first choice I made was just because it happened to be the closest path to me and I figured it was as good as any, really." She said, blushing for no reason. Irmo smiled indulgently, and she went on at their nods.

"And then at the next fork I remembered that Manveru had said that I might need the pack, so I wanted to see what was in it. When I saw the walking stick, I supposed I would need it, so I took it. And then I looked at the paths." She paused and then went on.

"The left one went down, so I ignored it, the middle went straight on, and the right path led up. Because I had the walking stick, I just assumed that I was meant to take the one that went up, since... That's what it's for." She added somewhat lamely before going on.

"And then when I got to the top, I felt discouraged because it seemed as though I had gone through so much effort for something not worth it. But when the voice told me that it wasn't that hill but the next, I thought that there might be something better over the next hill. And I wasn't about to go back, because I had already chosen that path and the others were now closed to me. At least, in my mind if not in reality." She added.

"So I went on, and then arrived- here." She finished, shrugging and looking down at her feet, which swung from her chair. There was a silence for a moment.

"Which shows much of your character." Nàmo finally spoke. "Think about your life, Eruanna. The pack and the staff represent the sigil e-hered. You were given it for a purpose. Therefore, you chose the road that made use of what you were given. Your climb represented your struggles. When you got to the top, you were discouraged because it seemed as though it was for nothing, but you could not go back because what had been done had been done, and you were determined to see it through to the end."

Irmo continued. "The voice was encouragement. It told you to look up past the coming evil and look forwards to something better, which to your past was coming here to Aman. And then, when you had made it, you were both disgusted and pleased, because you were proud you had seen it through and yet disgusted that you had been given the sigil- a difficult thing. But when you think about it, why did you go on and not give up in the end?" He asked.

Eruanna looked progressively surprised throughout the narrative, and when he asked, she blinked. "I- because I just... It was in my mind that there was going to be an end and I must reach that goal. There must have been a purpose for the maze, so I wanted to see what it was for, and wanted the answer to why I had been given the path I had been given- assuming that it had a purpose and that it had been already chosen for me." She gave them a wry look that set them chuckling. "I trust that there was?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Such insolence." But Irmo was smiling.

"All throughout your life, you have known that you went through such things for a greater purpose, did you not? Therefore, that mentality is what caused you to keep on going, determined to get to the end to see what the end result was. That is a good trait, child." Nàmo said gently, and she smiled in relief.

Then they both smiled, and Irmo poured her a glass of mirúvorë. "Welcome to Lòrien, Eruanna." He said. Eruanna smiled happily and drank, and she knew that she had never tasted a better drink in her past life or her present.

She was given a brand-new life.

LOTRLOTRLOTR

Fionwë was there to lead her to the grove in Lòrien where she would be staying. "This is where you will be staying." He had told her, and she had clutched his hand, looking around. "Ah, here comes Olòrin with your friends." He said with a smile, and she looked to see that Ecthelion and Ingalaurë were there as well.

Her eyes lit up, and she ran to Ecthelion right away, giving both him and Ingalaurë a happy hug. Ecthelion grinned and hugged her back, as did Ingalaurë. It was then that it actually hit her that she was an elfling still, same as she had been before she had gone to Mandos. She just hadn't really realized it until just then, and found herself relieved to know that she was not yet grown. For one thing, she didn't have to be responsible yet- that is, not as much as her age would have otherwise declared.

"Good to see you again, my little golden flower." Ecthelion said, kissing her cheek. She returned it.

"Yes Fin'ilmë, it's good to see you. Now I won't have to be too lonely." Ingil said. She giggled.

"Well. There's dinner ready now, you wouldn't want to miss it, would you?" Fionwë asked with a smile as a bell chimed somewhere in the distance. So Eruanna and the other two were escorted by the two Maiar to the dinner pavilion. They were then left there, and with an uncomfortable look at each other, the three shrugged and decided to enter.

As soon as they did, everyone stopped and stared. Several of them actually stood, respect and awe on their faces, bowing. All three stopped, looking rather confused. Fionwë appeared behind them once more, placing steadying hands on their shoulders.

"Ecthelion, you are praised as a hero of Gondolin for your sacrifice and feat. Ingalaurë, you are a prince, the son of high King Ingwë Ingaran." He said gently, and Eruanna relaxed to know that she was not entirely the spotlight of attention. Ecthelion and Ingalaurë took deep breaths, then as one they clutched Eruanna's hands.

She blinked. Then Ecthelion looked down at Eruanna with a smile, his eyes sparkling wickedly. "Come on, Laurëfindilmë. Let's go eat. I remember when your brother Glorfindel used to tease me about always being hungry." He said cheerfully, and Eruanna froze, managing to send him a brief glare.

Several elves gasped, looking at the elfling with the new knowledge. Ingalaurë relaxed at the teasing. "Yes, osellë, let's go." He said, and they headed towards the sideboards. They didn't notice Fionwë's smile of approval before he faded away.

Immediately, several of them made as though to help. Ingalaurë stopped with a frown, holding out his hand. They stopped. Everyone stared.

"Excuse me, but we are more than capable of feeding ourselves. Please sit and eat your own food before it gets cold. It's a shame to waste food." He said, and then continued, all of them getting their own plates and filling them as they will. That is, Ecthelion did Eruanna's for her as she clutched his leg.

"Otorno? Where will we sit?" She asked Ecthelion softly, this time attaching herself to Ingalaurë's side. But it was Ingil that answered, smiling down at her and then leading them to a table that had three empty spots.

Aware of all the stares, the three felt their appetites rapidly diminishing though they forced themselves to remain calm. Finally, though, Eruanna decided she was tired of it. She turned to the rest of the table.

"Stare." She said slowly, in a very creepy and soft tone, locking eyes with one of them. He went pale and fidgeted. "Staaaare." She repeated, her eyes moving to another elf. He also fidgeted. By this time, everyone was staring at the elfling with different degrees of confusion and trepidation.

Then Eruanna reached out a finger. "Poke." She poked an elf that was sitting next to her. He stared at her, bewilderment on his face.

The unclad Maiar raised their eyebrows from where they watched. *What in the name of lord Manwë's beard is she doing?* Olòrin asked.

*Don't bring your master's nonexistent beard into this.* Manwë growled, and the Maiar laughed themselves silly.

*Yes, master.* Olòrin said with an unrepentant grin, and Manwë retired, muttering something about 'talking to Nàmo about his ridiculousness.'

Eruanna sighed. "Don't you have buttons?" She asked impatiently. The elf shook his head, confused. She turned to Ecthelion, who winked briefly.

"Poke." She poked his shoulder as he ignored it all, eating calmly. Ingil looked suspicious.

"Gothmog!" Ecthelion yelped, and then retired back to his bowl as though nothing had happened. Ingil suddenly began to stifle laughter in his spoon as he caught on.

"Poke." This time Eruanna poked his side.

"For the King!" Ecthelion roared, and then once again resumed his eating calmly. Eruanna stifled her own laughter.

She poked his side again, in a rhythm. "For the- for- f-f-f-for the King!" Ecthelion yelled, and then glared at her as she stopped.

"Don't. That's annoying." He said with a sniff. She sighed and then decided to poke Ingil.

"Poke." She said.

"Fool!" He bit out, and then resumed his eating. Again.

"Fool! F-f-foo-fool!" He rolled his eyes at her. "Don't. You'll break my button." He complained, and she returned to her own meal with a sigh. Then she poked the first elf again, this time on his arm.

"I don't have a button." He informed her. She shook her head.

"You do. It's supposed to make you like me more." She answered with a frown. The elf looked puzzled.

"I-I do like you-?" He said uncertainly.

She shook her head. "No. You have to- like me more." Then she began to poke his arm again and again as he winced, protesting.

Then she finally stopped with a thin smile. "That was fun." She said quietly, and then turned back to her plate. The unclad Maiar were laughing so hard they could barely see. Then someone snickered, and the whole pavilion burst into laughter as the three smirked at each other in triumph. And after dinner, everyone went around poking each other and seeing what kinds of 'buttons' the others had.

Nàmo and Irmo, though, smiled to themselves. *Yes, I think they'll do.* Nàmo said in satisfaction, and Irmo merely hummed in agreement...

Eruanna and Ecthelion and Ingil had a wonderful time washing dishes along with the other elves who deigned to join.

LOTRLOTRLOTR

Eruanna sat in the cabin where the three of them stayed together, looking out the window from where she sat on her bed. Hers was farthest from the door, all the way over by the window that looked to the West. She sighed, rolling over and curling into a ball, staring at the door.

"What's wrong, Fin'ilmë?" Ingalaurë asked from where he also sat on his own bed closest to the door. Ecthelion looked at her as well from the bed next to hers. She sat up and then crawled over to Ecthelion, who welcomed her into his lap.

"My mother-name is Eruanna. Fin'ilmë is an epessë." She said slowly, face scrunching as she began to think out loud. "Laurëfindilmë is my father-name. Did you know that only one person ever called me Fin'ilmë?" She asked Ingalaurë, who shook his head.

"I don't know where I'm going to go when I'm released. I was in the realm of lord Elrond, but I don't consider him my lord. His father is my true lord, to whom I gave my vassal ship. And I don't know if he will want me or not..." She sighed, slumping into Ecthelion as he stroked her hair gently. "Only Eär'dil ever called me Fin'ilmë..."

Ingalaurë looked thoughtful. "I'm not sure who you speak of, but I do know one thing, Fin'ilmë. If he is your lord, then he will most assuredly welcome you into his realm." He comforted, and Eruanna gave him a small smile.

"Thank you." She whispered, and then frowned up at Ecthelion. "Do you think you'll join the music guild when you get released?" She asked him, and he shrugged.

"There's no need for warriors in Aman, I suppose, so I guess so." He replied with a sigh.

Eruanna shifted embarrassedly. "I-I know how to play the flute too, Thel." She whispered shyly. "I learned how."

Ecthelion smiled down at her delightedly. "Truly?" He asked excitedly, and she nodded with a smile. "Then perhaps sometime we can play together! If there are any flutes here." He added dryly, and she giggled.

There was a sudden flash of light. "Indeed there are." And another Maia appeared before them. Ingalaurë's eyes lit up.

"Ingil!" He exclaimed, hugging the Maia, who laughed and hugged him back. Ingalaurë beamed at the two, who looked confused.

"His name is Ingil too, but just Ingil." He explained excitedly, like an elfling. "He took care of me when I was first reborn."

And Ingil smiled at Ingalaurë. "Indeed I did. And it was pleasure to do so, my child. Now, I have come to escort the three of you to classes." He said.

The three stared at him in bewilderment, and Ingil proceeded to elaborate. "There are several classes that have been carefully constructed for the Reborn to attend, each for different reasons. You will not be attending them all, but only the ones that have been assigned for you to attend. The ones you three will be attending are the same. There is art class, which teaches you to relearn how to be creative and express that creativity. Because all three of you have a talent for music, you will also attend music classes, which I think you shall enjoy. There is also the mandatory history classes, which will teach you about the history of Aman that you have missed, and somewhat of Arda. And also there are several other classes that you may attend that are only for each of you individually." The Maia finished, and there were slow nods as they processed the information.

"What about our memories?" Ingalaurë suddenly piped up with a frown. "I can clearly remember my childhood, but not very much my adulthood..." He gave the Maia a helpless look, to which he shook his head.

"Your memories will be sporadic, I'm afraid, as will Ecthelion's. Each reborn is different. You may retrieve many of your memories swiftly, or they may come slowly. Often times they will be triggered by the most trivial of things, such as a smell or even a single word or touch. There is no pattern to it. Eruanna, however, is a different case, as she well knows already." He gave the child a sympathetic look as she paled and refused to look at anyone.

Ecthelion frowned at her in concern, but she merely smiled weakly, not exactly alleviating his concern.

"Well then, come along now." And Ingil herded them all out and away to different groves where the different classes took place. And so they began their struggle to relearn many things in their quest to be reborn.

The Valar and Maiar could only hope that things would go smoothly, even though that had been proven too great of a hope wherever the Reborn are involved.


	6. Acts of Ambiguous Arts

**Well, here's a new chapter for you all! Thank you for the follows and faves so far, and especially those of you who review. It definitely kicks my muse into gear to continue writing. ;) Apologies for the long delay between chapters, but I hope to speed that up soon now that I'm settling back into a daily routine at home.**

 **WARNING: there is one section in the beginning that may prove disturbing for some readers. Please read with discretion.  
**

 **Now, without further ado, please**

 **Read!**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Review!**

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Chapter 6

The first feared trouble was not very long in coming, as Irmo had expected.

"Welcome! This is art class, and I hope that you will enjoy your time here." An elleth said cheerfully to the Reborn who stood awkwardly in the hut that was the art class. Ecthelion, Ingalaurë, and Eruanna were herded along with the others in front of their own easels, and the elleth pointed them to the supplies of cans of paint, brushes, and aprons stacked in the corner of the room.

"You are allowed to paint anything you like, and take as long as you like. Class ends in an hour." The elleth finished, and then began to go around the room and encouraging the various elves to begin.

Ingalaurë grimaced at his two friends and then with a sigh grimly pulled on his apron. Ecthelion and Eruanna looked at each other helplessly, then with a shrug decided to struggle into their own.

Eruanna wasn't quite sure what to do. She had never really been interested in art before, and she had no idea how to paint, really. But she supposed that she could give it a try. She suddenly sympathized with Ingalaurë and grimaced herself. Ecthelion had merely said nothing and set himself to work, unbiased either way.

"Well, I suppose I should paint something I like or remember..." She murmured to herself, and then stared up at the easel, unsure of what to do. A brush dangled awkwardly from her fingers as she looked at the blank white paper. And then, she wasn't sure where she was anymore.

All she could see was the blank, white of the paper, clean and unsullied, and then slowly seeing it being splattered with familiar red, sticky and rusty and hot. Life pooled in her vision, and without conscious thought the brush in her hand lifted. But she did not know, for all she saw was the images dancing in her mind and the red and black and green from a time long ago.

Black. Brown. Grey. No white. Her fingers smudged the colors on the easel, leaving fingerprints of it that began to congeal, looking like a single dirt wall. The fingerprints textured the wall, as though you could see the grains and clumps of dirt and mud that made up the wall. Dirt everywhere.

Black, brown, green. No white. A single torch, the green flame vague and smudged, seeming to flicker hazily on the page, as though undecided whether to go out or not. Spikes of shadow and a green glow scattered across the dirt wall. The shadows branched across the page as she dragged her paint-covered fingers horizontally against the easel, looking as though they were claws that were searching for something to grapple on to.

Red. The paintbrush scattered red drops over the once-white page, looking eerily like eyes in the darkness of the painting, or like a rain made of drops of blood. Swirls of red on the floor, drying into dark crimson that dripped off of the easel and left behind sickening puddles of spreading red.

Deep blue, which smudged the page in phantom-like shapes, blobs of color that stared at nothing and yet everything with red eyes that were like beads, hiding in the corners and shadows of the page. Melting into and out of the dirt walls that seemed to close in of themselves...

A scream startled her out of her mindless actions, and she looked up almost apathetically at the elleth, who stared at her easel with a pale face and wide eyes, mouth open in horror. Then the elleth began to weep.

"It's- it's terrible-" She wept, and Eruanna turned back to her painting, actually seeing it for the first time. It was truly terrible. For though the painting was merely smudges and vague shapes, one could see the horror and terror that lurked in the corners of the painting. It made her eyes scatter to and fro, afraid to look directly at anything on it for fear of seeing something horrifying, and yet unable to look away for fear that it would come alive and drag her into it while she wasn't looking.

And Eruanna began to weep, sitting down on the ground with her hands stained with paint, red still dripping onto the floor from the easel and splattering her as though with blood and grime all over again. Ecthelion looked at the painting and went utterly pale, unable to drag his eyes away.

In a moment, there was a flash of light and lord Irmo appeared, looking grim. The elves paled and bowed, but he merely nodded to them and gathered up the painting Eruanna had drawn, along with her and the elleth and Ecthelion.

Eruanna could not speak, too miserable and ashamed for words. She never wanted to make such hideous things. She had always wanted to make things beautiful, to counter all the ugliness of her past life. But now, when she had the chance, her past would not leave her alone.

Irmo led them to a grove and made them sit down. Eruanna had ceased weeping, her face dull and posture dejected. The elleth still wept. Ecthelion gathered Eruanna into his arms, rocking her gently and speaking softly.

"Cease your weeping, child." Irmo said, not unkindly, handing the elleth a handkerchief which she took gratefully.

"I'm sorry." Eruanna whispered before he could say any more. "I-I wanted to make something pretty, but I- I didn't even know what I was doing..." She hung her head, ashamed.

"There is nothing to be ashamed of, Eruanna." Irmo said gently. "For you were lost in a memory, and as you said, were not aware of your surroundings and therefore unable to control yourself. We call such a thing a flashback. Although, I have to admit, your painting would be considered a masterpiece by some." The last non-sequitur statement, made with a straight face, made them look at the lord of Lòrien with baffled expressions.

His lips twitched. "After all, it is a very good example of what the vagueness of a painting can do to an imaginative mind." He said, and then winked.

Color returned to Eruanna's face, and she gave him a jaundiced look. "Then you can have it if you like, my lord; I'm sure you would enjoy hanging it in your demesne somewhere as a good example of fine art." She retorted sourly, and Irmo threw back his head and laughed. Even the elleth and Ecthelion smiled, for the laugh of the Vala was infectious.

"Indeed my child, despite your insolence I still stand by my statement." Then he sobered. "Now, my dear, I suggest that perhaps you should rest today and not attend other classes." He said, but Eruanna protested.

"No! Please, I want to go." She clung to Ecthelion. "I'll be okay." She begged, and Irmo sighed.

"Very well, child. Now, I trust that you are also alright, my dear?" He turned to the elleth, who looked troubled.

"I-I'm not sure, my lord. What- what was the meaning of the painting?" She asked, turning to the elfling, whose face suddenly went expressionless. The elleth paled at the dark look that passed through the suddenly blank eyes that stared right through her.

"Best you not know." Was Eruanna's detached reply, accompanied by a wintery smile. Irmo nodded.

"Yes, best you not know. Now, come along, else you be late." Irmo shooed her and Ecthelion away, remaining behind to speak to the shaken elleth.

*I was hoping...* But he didn't finish, instead sighing.

*So were we, brother, so were we.* Nàmo answered sorrowfully.

The next classes went well, on the whole, with no other incidences, thankfully. However, when the three arrived back at their cabin in the evening, the complaints were numerous.

Eruanna flopped onto her bed with a sigh, as did the other two. "What kind of history class is that? I don't want to know about Aman, I want to know what happened to my home!" Ecthelion said in frustration, slamming a fist angrily into his pillow and glaring holes in it.

"She didn't say anything about it except that Beleriand sank." Eruanna complained with a scowl. "She didn't tell anything about the history of any of the cities, not Gondolin, not Nargothrond, not any of them!" She said in annoyance.

"I can understand your point of view, but I'm also disappointed. They didn't nearly tell all that happened here in Aman." Ingalaurë grumbled, and then there was a pause as the three of them looked at each other. Then Eruanna gave them a wry smile.

"Well then..." She said suggestively, and they grinned back at her.

"Maybe we should give a history lesson of our own." Ecthelion finished, and soon the three were sharing all that they remembered of their past with each other.

Fionwë and Ingil, unclad nearby, smiled at each other as they listened to the fragmented stories that slowly morphed into tales of Ecthelion and Eruanna's escapades in Gondolin that set the trio laughing.

LOTRLOTRLOTR

"Wake up, penneth, it's another brand new day." A voice was saying, and in response Eruanna groaned, rolling over and swatting absently in the direction of the voice.

"G'way Glorfy." She mumbled, still half asleep. There was a chuckle.

"As much as I wish he were here, my little golden flower, he is not." Was the amused reply, and she peeled her eyes open to see Ecthelion grinning down at her. With a sigh, she stretched and yawned, sitting up slowly so that her head wouldn't spin. Then she gave him a disgruntled look.

"Don't give me that, I even left Ingalaurë for you to wake up." Ecthelion complained, and she looked over to see that indeed, the light haired Vanya was still asleep. She sighed and then gave Ecthelion a clumsy kiss before stumbling over to Ingalaurë's bedside and then plopping herself by his side.

"Wakey, Ingil." She said impatiently, shoving him in the side. "Wakey!" She insisted, and Ecthelion muffled his laughter as Ingil groaned, rolling over much like Eruanna had and then groping. He found her and dragged her down next to him, cuddling her to himself.

"Don' wanna wakey, Ammë." He mumbled. Eruanna sighed as Ecthelion rolled about on his cot, laughing.

"Wake up!" She shrieked, and with a yell Ingalaurë sat up, wild eyed and disheveled. Eruanna grumbled and moved off of the bed, stumbling over to the mirror that was in the room.

"What was that for?" Ingalaurë was complaining, and in reply she pointed to Ecthelion, who was soon being chased about the grove by an indignantly shouting Ingalaurë.

In the meantime Eruanna merely rolled her eyes and went about her morning ablutions, dressing herself in a simple tunic and pair of leggings that were both white and embroidered with silver thread. She studied herself critically in the mirror, muttering to herself, just as Ingalaurë and Ecthelion came back in.

They watched her, listening in growing dread to her words. "Here is where I had the scar from the whips." She was muttering, pawing at her back. "And then here is where I had the scar from being cut to the bone." She traced a hand down her arm. "This is where that orc kicked me with his metal boot." She rubbed a spot on her leg. "And here..." She trailed off, face twisting as she absently rubbed her upper left arm.

"That's where he grabbed me..." Pain briefly flashed across her face before she sighed and shook her head. "I almost wish I had the scars back... Because then at least I would know that I am the same person as I was before..." She told herself.

Her face was the same as it had always been, fair and finely chiseled, although soft in its baby curves. Her leaf-shaped ears poked out from her Mithril hair shot with molten gold, and her blue-green, swirling eyes stared back at her from the mirror.

The she turned to them with a thin smile. "Well? Are you ready?" She asked pointedly, and they frowned before going about their own ablutions for the morning.

The first class was history, which annoyed them to no end, as it apparently did the other Reborn, though none made any comments. The second class, art, was received with groans, though they did it anyway and was glad when it was done. The third class, however, consisted of either beadwork or ribbon embroidery.

Eruanna smirked to herself when she thought of Glorfindel's comment about his own ribbon embroidery, and she decided to leave that one to her brother and instead learn beadwork. The purpose of the class was not only to help the Reborn to learn something new, but also to help tune their fine motor skills. Many of them had trouble just picking up a quill pen. Eruanna, as well, had the same trouble and was much grieved at the thought of not being able to write in her journal.

Whenever she thought of her belongings, she felt guilt pass through her, for though she respected Elrond and Celébrian and loved them in her own way, all of her servitude and heart screamed for her lord Eärendil. It was he that she felt she should serve, not another. It was the part in her that clung to her oath of vassal ship that made her feel so, that she knew. And she wondered if Eärendil knew that she was here...

Eruanna huffed in frustration as the bead slipped out of her fingers for what seemed to be the millionth time, clattering back into the tin pan. She scowled at it, but then reached for it again, determined to win the losing battle against the bead.

"Here, child, try it this way." A voice said softly, and in a moment a hand had wrapped around hers and was gently guiding the string in her other hand to slip through the bead still on the pan. Then the hand helped hers to push the bead down firmly on the string, and then left. Eruanna looked up, and the thanks on her lips died in the light of the face that smiled at her gently.

Those eyes- they were not the eyes of any elf or even Maiar. Eruanna stood clumsily and bowed, feeling inadequate. The lady smiled and laughed lightly.

"Now then, my dear, sit, sit." Vána said with a smile, and sat next to the elfling, who felt confused and nervous. Vána smiled, and Eruanna felt her heart skip a beat at the beauty in that smile. She blinked. Lady Vána had dark hair untouched by any frost, her face was youthful and cheery, and her surprisingly deep green eyes sparkled at her in delight.

"Your pattern is lovely, dear." Vána said gently, patting the little hand that still held the jeweled to-be-necklace tightly. Eruanna's hand relaxed, and she smiled hesitantly at the lady.

"H-Hannon lle." She managed, unconsciously lapsing into Sindarin instead of Quenyä. She swallowed the lump in her throat at the thought of her brother. Vána gave her a sympathetic smile, divining her thoughts, and Eruanna felt herself marginally comforted by the smile.

"Well, my dear, I was hoping that I might have that necklace when you're finished with it." Vána said conversationally, eying the piece in her hand. Eruanna blushed, swallowing again.

"Y-yes, my lady. O-of course." She replied, loosing her hold on said object in her hands.

"Thank you, then, Eruanna. Now, I have also come to take you and Ecthelion somewhere when you're finished." Vána added, pulling out of the basket she was carrying a piece of embroidery. She gave both the bewildered Ecthelion and Eruanna a brilliant smile.

"I'll wait, so go on." She urged, and then by example turned to her needle. Exchanging glances, the two shrugged and then did as they were bid, stringing the beads much faster now that they had been introduced to a better method.

After a while, the hour was up and the class dismissed. Eruanna and Ecthelion looked to Vána after they had cleaned up after themselves to find that the Valië had also put away her own ply and was waiting for them patiently. Then with a smile she beckoned to them to follow, gliding out of the small hut with grace.

They followed silently, Eruanna clutching Ecthelion's hand. Finally, however, they arrived in a small pavilion, and the two stopped short, looking at the table in the center with awe on their faces. Vána, studying them intently, nodded her head at the hunger that flared in their eyes as they studied the myriad of flutes that were set out on the table.

She smiled at them. "Irmo has decided to allow you to choose a flute of your liking to keep for yourselves." She said gently, and they turned to her in awe.

"One?" Ecthelion asked, and Vána laughed.

"Do you need more than one, child?" She asked, and Ecthelion blushed.

"No, my lady." He answered meekly, and then looked to Eruanna, who looked helpless.

"How do we choose?" She whispered, and he nodded in agreement.

Vána smiled. "I'll leave that to you, children." She answered, and then faded away from their sight, leaving them alone.

Eruanna suddenly snorted. "Lord Irmo had better be careful, or else Ecthelion is going to take as many as he possibly can carry." She called into the air, causing Ecthelion to protest loudly. Laughter from seemingly thin air alerted them to the presence of the Maiar, and Eruanna grinned cheekily at Ecthelion, who half-heartedly glared.

"Fionwë?" Eruanna then asked, and with the scent of lemongrass and peppermint, the Maia appeared with a smile.

"Yes, Eruanna?" He answered politely. She smiled shyly.

"Can you help me?" She queried, and he nodded.

"Of course." He answered.

"Can you... Play the flutes?" She asked, and giving her a discerning look, he smiled and then nodded, moving over to the table. Eruanna tugged on Ecthelion's sleeve.

"Listen to the one that calls to you." She suggested, and Ecthelion's face lit up in understanding. So the two closed their eyes, centering themselves and tuning their senses to the air around them. And then Fionwë began to play.

Eruanna could hear the sound of the flute, resounding through her senses and into her heart. It was soft and melodic, almost slurred in its sound. It was beautiful in its own way, but not the one for her.

Then it stopped, and another began to play. A high pitch with more slurs in it, and definitely not what she wanted.

The next had a light, airy tune that was melodious in its cheeriness. "That one!" Ecthelion exclaimed. "That one's mine." She heard him walk towards the Maia and take the flute with thanks.

But she still listened, breathing shallow and even, patiently awaiting for a flute to call her. The next one wasn't any better than the others. But then-

The call was so strong that Eruanna opened her eyes with a yelp and stumbled forwards. It had a clear, sharp tone that almost seemed to cut through the air, and yet was light and sweet in its tone. It wasn't too low, and yet at the same time not too high either.

Fionwë smiled and handed it to her, and she clutched it to herself with a grateful smile. "Thank you, lord Irmo. Thank you." She whispered, and then looked at it. To her surprise, it was a very unassuming flute compared to the others. Ecthelion's was a silver one that had beautifully carved keys and was stainless and spotless, gleaming in the setting sun.

Hers, on the other hand, was a tad smaller than his and had a dull, unpolished Mithril plate, but also had intricate vines and leaves carved over the barrel around the keys. She stared at it in surprise, but at the same time with delight. She didn't care if it was fancy. Its tone was what mattered, and she loved it. Fionwë stood and bowed.

"I was glad to be of help, Eruanna. Now, I must leave. If you are in need, however, do not hesitate to call." He winked, and Eruanna smiled at him, waving.

"Okay, Fionwë! Thank you!" She called happily, and he wriggled his fingers back with a wink before fading away and leaving behind the smell of lemongrass and peppermint.

Then she sighed, looking down at the flute and clutching it in her fingers. Her eyebrows furrowed, and she shook her head with a frown.

"Is something wrong, Eruanna?" Ecthelion asked, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. She smiled up at him.

"I'm okay. I just... Need to relearn how to play..." She answered, and agreeing, he led her out of the glade. But when they left, Eruanna glanced back at the table to see that there was a glimmer of silver that momentarily flashed in her eyes.

It reminded her of the sigil e-hered, and a longing to feel it under her fingers suddenly rushed through her before disappearing.

LOTRLOTRLOTR

"She's rushing things." Irmo said with a frown. "We cannot allow her to have the sigil until she is capable of handling her emotions better."

"True, but that won't take too long. We only need to try to keep her occupied for at least a year before she can have it again. Things are escalating in a way I don't like." Nàmo pointed out with an identical frown on his face.

"Both of you have a point. The sooner she can handle it, the better- although now I am beginning to wonder why this is the way Atar wants to handle things." Manwë sighed, rubbing his temples. "Something like this has never happened before. It's new for us, and therefore unpredictable. Whilst her brother was a catalyst, she has a far more active role in things." He added.

"All of this is true. The closer we get to the Dagor Dagorath, the more things seem to be tensing, even here within Aman. The Sèrë Valaron has already been breached twice. She is here to keep it from being breached yet again." Aulë said calmly.

"But then again, I'm not sure that we even have a year left to allow her to mature. There are more and more dark creatures coming over the Pelori mountains, and I and my Maiar are having difficulty keeping up with all of them. Many of them aren't even corporeal." Oromë said with his arms crossed, sounding upset.

"All the more reason to begin her training as soon as possible. Many of these creatures, I deem, are leaking from the Void." Tulkas said darkly, and the Valar exchanged worried looks.

"We will try to stall it for as long as we can, but there always comes a time when we have no choice. It will be as Atar dictates." Manwë said firmly, and they had no choice but to agree.

Then Nàmo sighed. "I am not looking forwards to when Glorfindel gets here..."

"Please don't talk about it!"


	7. Of Inky Raccoons and Fastidious Valar

**I'm sorry guys that this has taken me a while, but I've been settling back into life. I have an announcement to make: I will be putting this story on hold for the month of November, because I'll be participating in the NaNoWriMo. But fear not, after November I promise I shall come back to you all!**

 **But during that time, I want to give you guys a challenge, along with prizes. Yaaay! Okay, so I want all of those who want to participate to listen up carefully please, and read these rules.**

 **The challenge is to write either a one-shot, two-shot, or series of drabbles about one of these topics. 1) Music in Middle-Earth 2) a character death or 3) A humorous piece on Aragorn's time in service to King Thengel of Rohan. As a judge. What I want to see in the fic is description, emotion, and good grammar.**

 **For those who want to join or have a question, just shoot a PM my way and I'll be sure to answer. You can make it as long as you like, or as short, it doesn't matter to me. Make sure you PM me and tell me the name of your story and the topic you chose to write on once it is posted so that I can read it, please. ;)**

 **The prizes will go to the winner of each topic. The prize for the winner will be any small one-shot, two-shot, or Drabble that you request of me.**

 **So, may the Valar guide your pens and muses, and have fun! Be creative!**

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* * *

Chapter 7

It had been another year since the three had been reborn, and they had made many improvements in that time. Their motor skills were perfected once more, they were making better decisions for themselves, and Ecthelion and Eruanna were once more perfecting their flute skills.

They had already gone through several sonatas together, including a long paean of praise to the Valar. Ecthelion had been pleased with Eruanna's skill, helping her to better herself, to her delight and enjoyment.

However, the more the days went on, and the more she remembered her life in Arda, the more she began to become anxious for the future. She was eager to move on, eager to settle herself into a new life, eager to see Erestor and Eärendil again. Of course her brother too, but she knew that he most likely wasn't back in Aman yet. It might be several hundred years before he came back, actually, knowing Elladan and Elrohir.

Even some of the Lóriennildi, the elven healers under lord Irmo, had noticed Eruanna's distinct regress in emotional stability, but were unable to draw the elfling out of her ever-growing shell. Until it finally came down to explosion point that only one elf could properly fix, who just happened to be there at the right time in the right place- if one believed in coincidence.

Eruanna was sitting in a tree that was in the gardens of the Reborn, curled into a tight ball as she attempted to remember something more of her past. The tree sang softly, more than happy to cradle the little elfling in its branches.

"My dear, do come down. It's time for art class, and you mustn't miss it." A voice called up irritably from below, and Eruanna curled up even tighter, ignoring the voice.

She didn't like Marillien. The elven healer was only five thousand and yet she was always so snobbish around the Reborn as though they were mere elflings of one without any brains. She even spoke slowly and stressed her words as though attempting to speak to a child. It was degrading and insulting. Of course, Eruanna had to admit that in many ways the Reborn were much like elflings, but not to that extent. And Marillien needn't be so haughty about it.

There was an irritated sigh. "Come. Down. There is no time for games, Eruanna." Marillien said firmly, and Eruanna felt resentment blossom inside of her. She ignored the elleth.

"Ingil. Lisselindë." Marillien called, and a mingled scent of herbs and flowers filling Eruanna's nose indicated the presence of the Maiar.

"Is there a problem, Marillien?" Ingil asked politely.

"This Reborn doesn't want to come down from the tree." Marillien's smug voice indicated that she thought herself as having the upper hand now.

Eruanna uncurled from her ball, glaring down at the glowering elleth. "I'm tired of being treated like I'm one. I'm older than you, for the Valar's sake." She hissed venomously, surprising even the Maiar with her uncharacteristic outburst. "I may be a Reborn, but that doesn't mean you have to treat me like I'm stupid and dirt! Do you know how hard it is not knowing anything about your past!? Not remembering!?"

Eruanna slid down from the tree, and they could see the tears in her eyes. "So what if I was broken beyond repair? So what if I'm just an elfling of eight thousand? So what if I was used for orc sport for more than seven thousand years? Go ahead, call me a pae-channas! Go ahead and treat me like you're so superior and have had more experience than all of us! Forget about the fact that most of us died in ways unimaginable and suffered more pain than you can dream of!" She snarled at Marillien, eyes growing dark and fraught with memories and darkness terrible beyond imagination. Then she turned away, shaking.

Marillien gaped, mouth opening and closing like a fish as her face turned red. The she turned to the Maiar. "Well? Aren't you going to do something!? She's dangerous!" She exclaimed fearfully.

Eruanna bit back a scream, falling to her knees and weeping. Dangerous. Yes, that's what she was... All because of her past, because she was a Reborn...

"Nay, child, I think that it is you that is dangerous." A new voice said calmly. Eruanna didn't look up. "Dangerous enough to be put into confinement to think over your actions and words, for they were indeed uncalled for, Marillien." The voice went on, turning frigid. Eruanna forced herself to breathe, to stay calm, to center herself.

There was a gasp, and then a moan from the elleth, and without a word, the Maiar took Marillien and led her away with no expression disclosed on their faces. But Eruanna merely sat there, trembling and mind awhirl. A hand landed gently on her shoulder.

Out of pure instinct, Eruanna immediately grabbed the hand and whirled around, holding a finger to a point on the elf's neck- and then froze. The ellon stared back, his face turning sheet white. Eruanna gasped and let go, stumbling backwards. The ellon reflexively grabbed her to keep her from falling, and she just stared, feeling the darkness in her eyes melt away.

This elf- was related to her somehow, in some way. She could feel it in his aura. It held something familiar to her, something undefinable but still there. His hair was a silvery-gold color, and his eyes were as blue as the clear skies. His face was fair and noble, and the light of the two trees shone from his eyes.

He stared back at her. "You... You look just like... My Gwador..." The elf murmured, face still white. She blinked.

"Gwador?" She asked automatically. "You.. Seem familiar..."

"Your hair. These strands- I know of only one other elf that has such golden hair..." He picked up a piece of her hair in his hands. She slowly reached up, hand pausing above his cheek.

"My brother is... Glorfindel..." She murmured almost dreamily, and Finrod gasped, stumbling to his feet and staggering backwards.

"No- no- Glorfindel had no sister..." He shook his head frantically, and Eruanna felt herself at a loss of what to do. Then there was a burst of light, and Eruanna slumped into the arms of Nàmo, who immediately began to run his hands over her, face grim.

"Irmo, bring Aulë. She's going through shock, and may slip her leash." He said curtly, and Irmo nodded, going over to the ellon and gently leading him to a chair that appeared out of nowhere.

"Drink." Irmo said, and the ellon obeyed, hands shaking. Eruanna's breathing was shallow, her eyes unfocused. She could feel herself slipping away slowly.

"My child, come back here. I have not given you leave to leave your hroä." Nàmo's voice was forbidding and brooked no argument. Eruanna felt herself unconsciously obeying, and jerked with a gasp, eyes widening as her feä grounded itself once more.

Aulë appeared, his rusty hair and amber eyes standing out in contrast to Nàmo and Irmo. "Did you call?" He asked, smiling down at the elfling who just lay there, feeling disoriented and confused.

"She was about to go into a psychic break, but thankfully I managed to bring her back." Nàmo answered, helping Eruanna into another chair. "Now then, why don't we make introductions?" He asked.

"Eruanna, this is Finrod Felagund, also known as Findárato Arafinwion and Gwador to Glorfindel. Finrod, this is Eruanna Glorfindelithel of the House of the Golden Flower, sister of your Gwador and also one of the Reborn who will be released into your care when she is released." Nàmo said calmly, motioning to each.

Eruanna stared at Finrod. "M-Mae Govannen, hîr Findárato. iEneth nîn Eruanna." She stammered, switching from Sindarin to Quenyä in her confusion.

Finrod swallowed, visibly struggling for words. "Mae Govannen... Glorfindel never mentioned a sister!" He blurted, obviously confused and disturbed. Eruanna's lips trembled at the thought of her brother, not knowing what to do.

"Perhaps, then, Eruanna should tell you what she remembers of her past." Irmo suggested softly, and the elfling looked down resignedly, beginning to tell her story almost mechanically, detached from emotion.

When she was finished, Finrod sat there, slowly coming to terms with the tale. Eruanna closed her eyes. So this was Finrod Felagund, once King of Nargothrond, the Gwador of which her Muindor had talked so much of, and the one who she was supposed to be released into the care of. And now, would he reject her?

After another moment of tense silence, she suddenly felt someone's arms wrap around her gently, drawing her into a hug.

"I can only imagine what heartache my Gwador went through when he found out, Eruanna." Finrod's voice told her gently, thick with tears. "And I can only imagine how much he loves you. I hope that you can come to think of me as your Gwador as well, for I love your brother and I know that my family would welcome you and love you." He said with such utter sincerity that Eruanna began to weep, instinctively clinging to the ellon who hugged back.

She never knew that Finrod looked up at Irmo and Nàmo with a tremulous, grateful smile, to which the two Valar had smiled in return.

"Ah, and Findárato." Irmo added almost off-handedly. Both Eruanna and Finrod looked at the Vala.

"You will also be Eruanna's counselor." Irmo added, sweeping away. Nàmo merely smiled briefly and then thought himself away in a burst of light. Eruanna looked at Finrod, who looked back with a sardonic grin.

"Well then... Would you like to tell me how you feel so we can, erm, deal with it?" Finrod asked dryly, to which Eruanna suddenly burst into hysterical laughter.

LOTRLOTRLOTR

"Who is your counselor, Eruanna?" Ingalaurë was asking, painstakingly etching words into his own journal. Eruanna missed hers, but she knew better than to ask for it, because she knew that it wasn't time to reread it again. She still hadn't remembered all of the events that were written about in there.

"My Gwador." She replied absently, shuffling through several sheets of music.

"What?" Ecthelion asked, sounding confused. She looked up with an apologetic smile.

"Sorry. I forgot. You and I will be released into his care, otorno. He's Glorfy's Gwador, Finrod Felagund." She answered matter-of-factly, and Ecthelion gaped at her.

"Oh, I remember him. I liked him. We were Gwedyr too." Ingalaurë said absently, obviously lost in thoughts of said ellon.

"Otorno... A butterfly could fly into your mouth." Eruanna grinned as Ecthelion snapped his mouth closed, giving her a jaundiced look before shaking his head.

"How you manage to get into the favor of so many I don't know." He sighed.

"Because I'm an adorable elfling, unlike you, who whines too much." She snarked back with a smirk. Ecthelion glared.

"I do not." He grumbled. "You're the one who snivels."

"I do not." She sniffed.

"Do too."

"Do not."

"Do too."

"Do-"

"Oh for the love of lord Nàmo you two, hush up already so I can write!" Ingalaurë threw a bottle of ink in their direction with a frustrated growl.

Eruanna, now ink-splattered, looked to Ecthelion. "You look like a raccoon." She declared solemnly. Ecthelion spluttered as Ingalaurë burst into laughter, nearly falling off of his chair as she smiled smugly.

LOTRLOTRLOTR

Eruanna held up her completed necklace with a satisfied smile. Ever since lady Vána had asked her for it, she had been making subtle changes to her design and improving it, doing her best to make it fit for a Valië, though she expected that was more than she could ever hope to achieve.

She had made it out of delicately twined strands of gold and silver, punctuated tastefully by carefully selected gems. The design itself was a pattern of alternating gold and silver, twined into the shapes of leaves and curling vines. Eruanna had borrowed her memory of the Huorns to make it as realistic as possible.

Therefore, it had been a simple piece, with each leaf bearing its own drop of aquamarine, sapphire, or emerald dew. The curls of the vines had also been periodically dotted with a small pearl or ruby.

The pattern was soothing in its design and pleasingly simple to the eye. She studied it critically, hoping that it was good enough. She had worked hard and long on it, with her whole heart, and had found to her surprise that she had very much enjoyed every minute of the work.

"Because it was done with love, child. It was made as a gift from the heart." A new voice rumbled, and Eruanna started, looking up to see lord Oromë staring down at her.

She rose and made her obeisance, and the Vala smiled and sat next to her. He had red hair and light green eyes, with a sharp, angular face that was nonetheless kindly and pleasant when she smiled. She smiled back hesitantly, then glanced down at the necklace, wondering dubiously if he thought it a fitting gift for his spouse.

"Why ever would it not be?" Oromë asked, and she blinked. Oromë chuckled at her expression.

"Child, you have been speaking your thoughts into ósanwe, though I am guessing that you were not aware of it." He answered, and she blushed sheepishly. He chuckled. "Nothing to be ashamed of, little one. Now, answer the question." He said sternly, though it was softened by a wink.

"Because- because it's... She's a Valië, more beautiful than anything I could create..." Eruanna answered hesitantly, as though she was unsure if it was a 'right' answer.

"That may be true, but gifts that come from the heart have their own beauty, and grace the wearer with their own charm because of the love and care that went into its making. If your brother had given you a painting, no matter how terrible, you would have accepted it, would you have not?" The Vala retorted, and she nodded.

"Do not disparage yourself, child. You have done the best you know how, and personally I think it beautiful in its simplicity. We Valar are much too fastidious anyway- that is, some of us." Oromë sniffed, and Eruanna couldn't help but giggle at the thought. He grinned and winked at her, ruffling her hair gently.

"There now, that's much better." He said in satisfaction. "Now, I must leave- my beloved is coming, and if she catches me..." He gave her a mock-horrified look that made her muffle her laughter as he faded away. She had barely managed to control herself when Vána appeared, smiling at her gently. The Valië raised an eyebrow.

"Is something amusing, my dear?" She asked.

Eruanna burst into muffled laughter, shaking her head, hand over her mouth. Then she thrust the necklace at the Valië, blushing as she shuffled, head down. Vána took the necklace gently, and studied it. Then she smiled at Eruanna, who peered up at her from under her eyelashes.

"Thank you, my dear, it is absolutely perfect. In fact, I know the very outfit to wear it with." Vána said in satisfaction. Eruanna smiled brightly in happiness, and Vána bent down to kiss her brow fondly.

Then she looked around before leaning into the elfling conspiratorially. "Don't listen to what my husband says. He hates it when I come home with dirt on my dress." She gave Eruanna a sarcastic look as the elfling veritably screamed in laughter, tears pouring down her cheeks as the Valië sighed exaggeratedly.

"Better not to tell tales, sister." Nàmo's amused voice broke upon their conversation.

"Says the one who used to stir up trouble by doing that exact thing." The Valië sniffed.

Nàmo sighed long-sufferingly. "I was what, several million old at the time?" He asked wearily, and Vána smirked as Eruanna shook her head.

Nàmo rolled his eyes."Off the subject, my purpose in coming here-"

"And there you go changing the subject oh so conveniently." Vána sighed, and Eruanna giggled wildly as Nàmo sent her a glare.

"As I was _saying_ -" he punctuated the stressed word with a pointed look, "-I came to tell Eruanna that she and Ecthelion and Ingalaurë will be released soon." He said. Eruanna suddenly turned pale and refused to look at either Valar.

"You know that Finrod will take good care of you, child." Nàmo said gently, drawing a hand through her hair. She gave him a pained look.

"Yes, but..." She sighed wistfully. Vána and Nàmo exchanged looks.

"But what, dear?" Vána asked gently, kneeling next to the elfling who looked down at her trembling hands clasped in her lap.

"D-doesn't my lord want me?" She whispered, voice shaking.

Nàmo sighed. "Of course he does, child, but it's best for you if you do not go with him yet. You are not ready yet. There are things to be done before you may go to live with your lord." He said softly. "But you will see him soon, this I promise."

Eruanna looked up at him, and seeing the sincerity in his eyes, nodded gratefully, seeming to be somewhat mollified.

"Yes, Atto." She sighed, albeit reluctantly. Then she looked up at him despondently, and in reply Nàmo drew her into his arms where she buried her face, struggling not to weep.

LOTRLOTRLOTR

Finrod sat in the room where his family was gathered, his arm around his wife Amarië and only half listening to the evening chatter of the family. He swept his eyes around the room and smiled wistfully, knowing that it only needed Sador and Glorfindel to truly complete the otherwise perfect picture.

Which led him to the object of this train of thought. Eruanna. Even after several months, he still could barely believe that Glorfindel had a sister, and was rightfully grieved for the sake of his gwador. However, as a Reborn, he also knew that Eruanna was happy to have her new chance at life and be as innocent as she could.

Finrod could feel his heart clench at the thought of what the elfling had gone through. If he, her mere gwador, felt such pain, he could only imagine what Glorfindel must have felt, knowing that he hadn't even known. Knowing Glorfindel, Finrod knew that the ellon would have stormed the very gates of Melkor's domain itself had he known that someone he loved was there. To think that such an innocent child should have suffered for the stubbornness of his cousin Turúcano-

"Findárato? Beloved? What's wrong? You're crying!" Amarië's concerned voice brought him out of his musings, and Finrod started, noticing for the first time the wetness on his cheeks.

He turned to his sister and brother-in-law, face contorted. "Please- tell me- what was Glorfindel like when he found out? What did he think of her? What he must have gone through, knowing what she had been forced to suffer, and knowing that he- for Eru's sake!- didn't know!" He pleaded, tears running down his cheeks as he buried his face into his hands.

"Damn the foolishness and pride of Turúcano!" He snarled, looking at nothing in particular with his face twisted in righteous rage. Then he sighed, turning back to them, the rage gone and instead only weariness left. Galadriel sighed, Celeborn's arm tightening around her. Arafinwë and Eärwen looked concerned, while Amarië wiped her beloved's face, not knowing what else to do.

"He was... heart-broken at first, and then enraged. I think- well, let's say that he's not going to be very happy when he gets here, and neither are the Valar." Galadriel looked for a moment as though she would shudder, before pressing her lips into a thin line. Then she looked at Finrod, who stared back with a thin smile.

"Don't think I won't join him." Was his only cold answer.

Galadriel merely raised an eyebrow. "He is very... possessive of her. Had it not been for her utter brokenness, she never would have come here without him." She shook her head.

"He was ever open and frank with her. There was nothing he didn't tell her, and she was the only one who could truly calm and control him. Even Elrond often would be forced to ask her for help if he ever became... restless." Celeborn gave Finrod a wry look, to which he snorted.

"Makes sense." He admitted. "And yet-" he gave them a discerning look. "There's more to her than that, isn't there? Besides what she is to the Valar." He said dryly.

"You have much in common, but that is something you may want to wait for her to confide in you before attempting to find out. Let's just say that its a... well, the reason she went to Mandos in the first place." Galadriel answered vaguely, and Finrod shot her a sharp look.

"Oh?" Was his only thoughtful answer, and Galadriel smiled.

"Something you care to share?" Arafinwë asked dryly, speaking for the first time, and Finrod gave his parents an apologetic look.

"My apologies, Ammë, Atto, Amarië." He gave his wife a comforting kiss. "It's just that this Reborn I have been counseling lately is one of the ones that we will be taking in." He shook his head. "I will leave it to you to figure out why Glorfindel would be so pleased to hear that we have taken her in." He gave them a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

"After all, she is quite the tool of the Valar, hmm?" He asked rhetorically, his smile turning sour.

"From what I hear, she was- is- rather amenable to the idea, Muindor." Galadriel offered, though her mild tone didn't fool him. He smirked.

"That doesn't mean I am rather amenable to the Valar's manipulation now, is it?" He retorted, and Galadriel sighed.

"Don't be foolish and come to hasty conclusions, Findárato." Was her only reply, and he gave her a warm smile this time.

"Now, when have I ever done that?" He asked with a wink towards Celeborn, who snorted good-naturedly as they laughed.

Arafinwë and Eärwen and Amarië, in the meantime, were left to wonder at the conversation and make speculations as to exactly who this mysterious Reborn might be, who was so dear to the heart of their son and brother Glorfindel.


	8. Entrance and Exit at Andondi Entulessëa

**Well, I have finished NaNoWriMo, and have now come back to post again. The contest I posted was rather anticlimactic, but I won't say anything other than that. The winner is WoodElfJedi's story "The Loss of a Brother." Lir, I reward you with a one-shot you may ask of me, on any topic. *wink***

 **Anyways, happy December! Thanks to all of my followers and reviewers. Please,**

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Andondi Entulessë.: gates of the reborn

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Chapter 8

Eruanna giggled, looking at the brightly colored pavilion of lord Irmo by the shores of lady Estë's lake. She was feeling rather mischievous, and went to look for Ecthelion and Ingalaurë who she was sure would be more than happy to join her.

"Thel? Ingil?" She called into their grove, and both ellyn looked down at her from where they sat in the welcoming trees that rustled their branches in welcome to her. She grinned and waved back, and the two slid down from their trees with thanks, to which the branches trembled in response.

"Bored." She said simply, and the two grinned, looking for all the world like they were miscreant elflings with a perfect, foolproof plan.

"Well... We have been good lately." Ecthelion said, as though rationalizing their plans.

"And after all, they don't really expect us to be good all the time..." Ingalaurë gave them a somewhat sour grin, and they rolled their eyes at him.

Eruanna tugged on their tunics impatiently. "Boreeeed Thel, Ingil!" She begged, and Ecthelion swung her up into his arms with a kiss that she received with a pleased face. Ingalaurë grinned at them and then nodded.

"Follow me!" He said, and marched off confidently. Ecthelion and Eruanna looked at each other, then with a shrug, caught up with the ellon and were soon being led somewhere.

"Where are we going, and what are we doing?" Ecthelion asked.

"We're going to-"

"Do nothing, because it's time for the three of you to go to the Andondi Entulessë." Came the amused voice of Ingil, and the three turned to look at the Maia with sheepish looks. Then they stopped, suddenly realizing what he had just said. Eruanna turned absolutely white, while the other two merely looked nervous.

"Fin'ilmë?" Ingalaurë asked, and Ecthelion immediately kissed her hair, murmuring into her ear. She slowly relaxed, and then snuggled into him, hiding her face in his shoulder.

Ingil was looking somewhat concerned. "Ecthelion, does she have a dazed look?" He asked. Ecthelion pulled back and looked at Eruanna, who shook her head.

"I'm not going to... Slip my leash." She said quietly, not looking at anyone. Ingil raised an eyebrow but merely nodded calmly.

"Good then. Now, get your belongings and I will lead you there." The Maia said gently but firmly, and the three did an about face to do as they were told.

It was time to go to their new homes.

LOTRLOTRLOTR

They were standing at the gates, waiting for the others meant to be released to arrive. Lord Irmo stood nearby, waiting patiently with a small smile on his lips but nothing more. Estë stood next to him, and she sent them a brilliant smile.

"Ah, here we are. Now we may begin." Irmo said as the last two arrived, one elleth and one ellon. All total, there were six elves: besides the trio, there were two other ellyn and one elleth.

"Now, no matter what happens, my children, remember that we love you all." Estë said gently, a fond smile on her face. "That you have come this far is an accomplishment that you should be proud of." She added.

"Even if we've made idiots and miscreants of ourselves?" Ecthelion snorted good-naturedly, and Irmo and the other Maiar chuckled.

"Yes, Ecthelion, even so." He said amusedly. Eruanna stood between Ecthelion and Ingalaurë, clutching to her chest a small bundle with her flute wrapped carefully in it, as well as another piece of jewelry she had made in her time in Lòrien. Otherwise, those were the only things she truly owned, along with the clothes on her back.

Ecthelion also clutched a small parcel, in which was his own flute and small belongings. Ingalaurë and the others had the same. They were all dressed in robes that were white, with a butterfly on the front in rainbow colors.

Estë kissed all of them on their brows, and Irmo spoke again. "Now that you have been Reborn, you will face life once more, with all of its challenges and difficulties. But with the time that you have spent here in Lòrien, we have given you the help you need to be able to do things on your own and make decisions for yourselves. Be happy, and well." Irmo finished, and gave them his own kisses.

Eruanna swallowed, shuffling close to Fionwë who had escorted her to the gate. The gate, she noticed, really wasn't even set in a wall of any sort. There was nothing but an empty plain all around, and the Mithril gate etched with vines was set in the middle of seemingly empty space. Now, however, the gate had opened, and there was a thick mist surrounding it, so that she could not see what was beyond it.

Fionwë placed a hand gently on her head. "Fear not, Eruanna! For beyond the gates is a new home, and a new family as well. We shall meet again." He said gently, and Eruanna smiled up at him tremulously.

"Bye Fionwë. I'll miss you." She whispered, and Fionwë chuckled, kissing her brow.

"As I will you, child." He answered. She smiled shyly.

"Love you, Fionwë." She said, and then looked to see that the elleth had already begun to walk into the mist. About twelve heartbeats later, lord Irmo gestured for one of the ellyn to leave next, which he did with hesitation. All of them looked simultaneously exited and yet sick, to which Eruanna could relate painfully well.

Soon, there was only Ingalaurë, and she and Ecthelion left. Ingalaurë was next, and he gave them a hug. "We'll see each other again, I know it." He said with bravado. "After all, Eruanna promised that she would come and live with me if I wasn't happy." He grinned, and Eruanna blushed.

"And I will keep it, if needs be." She answered somewhat tartly, as though daring anyone to contradict her. But everyone merely smiled at the exchange.

Ecthelion grinned and punched Ingalaurë's arm. "Don't have too much fun without us." He winked, and the ellon rolled his eyes in mock-disgust, moving to the gate with a huff as Ecthelion's laughter followed him. Eruanna's lips twitched.

Then after a few minutes, it was their turn. "Be safe, you two, and be good." Irmo warned with a wink nevertheless, and Ecthelion gave the Vala a cheeky grin.

"Can't promise." He said, and Eruanna rolled her eyes.

"I'll make sure he's good." She said with a virtuous air, and Ecthelion scowled as Irmo laughed.

"Oh will you?" Was the Vala's amused answer.

She grinned. "When I'm not joining him, that is..."

And the Vala and his spouse laughed heartily along with the Maiar as Ecthelion snickered and Eruanna smiled smugly.

Then they both walked through the mist together, hand-in-hand, into a new life. For a moment they felt as though they had lost all direction, then the spinning of the world grounded once more and they found themselves in a new clearing, where the sun shone so brightly that they blinked for a moment.

Then there was an exited exclamation. "Fin'ilmë!"

Eruanna turned to look at the source of the voice, and saw a figure waving to her, a smile on his face. The sun glinted off of his bright hair of yellow, and his blue eyes that shone brighter than sapphires. Eruanna's eyes lit up, and thrusting the bundle into Ecthelion's hands, she ran, stumbling over the hem of her dress until she finally tripped right into the arms of a laughing Eärendil.

"Eär'dil." She choked, and she felt Eärendil hug her gently, pressing a kiss to her brow.

"Fin'ilmë, my dearest friend. My heart rejoices to see you." He said, and she choked a laugh, coughing for a moment as he rubbed her back. "Easy Fin'ilmë!" He jested laughingly, and she looked up, tears sparkling in her eyes.

"I missed you, my lord." She said shyly, and he smiled back.

"As I did you, Fin'ilmë." He answered, kissing her in the manner that a liege lord would to his vassal. "This is my wife Elwing." He said, and a dark-haired elleth knelt, smiling gently.

Eruanna curtsied. "It is my pleasure to meet you, my lady." She whispered, and the elleth laughed gently, drawing her into arms and kissing her gently.

"As I am to meet you. I have heard so much of you from Eärendil." Was Elwing's answer.

"All good things, I hope." Eruanna muttered, and was rewarded with a laugh.

"Well, maybe so..." Eärendil replied coyly, and was rewarded when Eruanna stuck out her tongue at him and made a rude noise, to his obvious amusement.

"And what about me? Doesn't this poor gwador of yours get a hug?" A familiar voice asked pettishly, and Eruanna turned to see Finrod kneeling, his arms outstretched for a hug as he grinned. She swallowed and then smiled shyly, hugging him trustingly.

"No." She said, voice muffled into his neck. "You didn't bring me a present." She answered, and was rewarded with the rich laughter of the prince.

"Must you have a present for every time you exit a gate, my child?" Came an amused voice from behind them, and everyone turned to see lord Nàmo leaning against the gate with a raised eyebrow.

Then they turned to look at the elfling with trepidation. Eruanna's eyes lit up as she ran to the Vala, throwing her arms around his leg, to everyone's shock. One elleth was even seen to faint at the audacity.

"Atto!" Eruanna exclaimed happily, and this time even Finrod's eyebrows went up. Then she giggled softly. "But that's your fault, Atto, you're the one who keeps giving me gifts every time I do." She answered slyly, and Nàmo laughed, bending down to hug the elfling.

"Ah, but then, that's not my fault either now, is it? After all, when Eru gifts me a daughter, it becomes my prerogative to spoil her." He answered, fondly kissing her brow. Finrod gasped, as did many of the others. Only Ecthelion seemed unruffled, a small smile on his lips.

"No. Yes. I don't know, Atto. Is that a trick question?" Eruanna pouted, and Nàmo chuckled.

"What a wonderfully delightful daughter you are. Now then, run along, your new family is waiting for you. Take care of Ecthelion, will you? You know how much he is like Glorfindel." Nàmo said, shooing her towards the group. Eruanna turned back and kissed the Vala's cheek, running back to Finrod to be swept into his arms.

"I will, Atto. Bye!" She waved, and with a returning wave, Nàmo turned, and disappeared as the gates closed. Then Eruanna stuck a thumb in her mouth, looking at Finrod.

"Fi'da?" She suddenly asked hesitantly, making him start and turn to look at her almost dazedly. "Where's Ingil going?" She asked.

Finrod smiled somewhat absently. "To his home with Ingwë Ingaran." Was his answer, and them gave her a look. "Would you like to meet your new family, Eruanna, Ecthelion?" He then asked crisply, jolting everyone out of their still-stunned state. Ecthelion gave him a wry grin.

"I was wondering when you'd ask, gwador." Was his reply, and Finrod snorted.

"Well then, this is my Ammë, Eärwen, my Atto, Arafinwë, and my beloved Amarië." He said, pointing to each person.

Arafinwë gave them a wry smile. "I'm also known as the King of the Noldor, but who cares?" He asked flippantly, and Eruanna giggled as Ecthelion barked a laugh.

"Who does indeed?" He asked, then bowed. "It is my pleasure to meet you my lord, my ladies." He said politely, then grinned. "And of course you, my dear child." He spoke to Eärendil, who gave him a sardonic grin.

"But of course, uncle Thel, thank you for remembering me." Was the sarcastic reply, which was met with laughter. But Eruanna could not look away from Arafinwë.

Everyone suddenly took notice, as did the Noldoran, who returned the stare with a kindly smile, holding out his arms. Eruanna didn't do anything for a moment, then she stirred slightly, and Finrod handed her to his Atar. Eruanna's eyes looked keenly into his, and he met her gaze with equal intensity.

She could see his eyes, and she was intrigued by the shadow and yet brightness that lingered there. Unconsciously, she reached out with her mind, brushing against his in a request. Arafinwë looked surprised, but accepted her tendrils of thought with his own readily. Her shields went up around her personal area, but she left herself otherwise open for him to read her.

His hair captured her just as much as his eyes. They were a bright yet soft blue, and his hair was golden, coming down to his shoulders in wavy locks that made his face soft with its smile.

His aura was incredible, filled with power, wisdom, authority, and yet love and compassion at the same time. She immediately respected the King, seeing through his eyes and mind that he had been through much heartache and turmoil, yet had grown stronger for it.

Arafinwë, on the other hand, was finding himself sucked into those eyes, unable to look away. They swirled in a hypnotizing effect with the blue and green, drawing him deeper and deeper into them. And he was surprised at what he saw there. The elfling had been through much.

Her aura was branded with a wisdom different from his own, from experiences that he did not know, for they floated about vaguely and were fraught with a darkness that he did not understand and made him unsure if he wanted to know. And her eyes- they showed something else.

She was dangerous. Why he felt that way he didn't know, but he had the sudden feeling that this elfling could be absolutely fatal if she wanted to, no matter what her size deemed. It was a similar sort of danger that he had seen in her brother, though in a more darker, subtle way.

Then for the first time, the elfling stirred, wrapping her arms gingerly around his neck. "Atya?" She queried hesitantly, and Arafinwë gasped, reeling as her presence faded from his mind and he was snapped back to the real world. Eärwen and Amarië looked concerned, but Finrod, Eärendil, and Ecthelion gave him knowing looks.

Then he smiled, albeit somewhat shakily, and hugged her back. "Yes, Eruanna. I will be your Atya, if you wish." He answered softly, and he felt her grip tighten.

She sniffled and nodded. "Atya." She whispered. He smiled and pulled back, placing a kiss on her brow.

"Will you not say hello to your Emmë Eärwen, my dear?" He asked gently, and handed her to Eärwen, who gave him a curious look. He replied with a reassuring smile and a look in his eyes that promised an explanation later. She nodded, mollified, and then smiled at the elfling.

"Hello, my dear. It is wonderful to meet you." She said gently, and Eruanna smiled hesitantly, meeting the soft, sea green eyes and seeing her silvery hair.

"E-Emmë?" She asked, and Eärwen nodded.

"Yes, Eruanna. I am your new Emmë." She answered, kissing the elfling, who sighed in happiness.

"Atya. Emmë. Gwador." She said happily, and Finrod took her back with a smile.

"Of course, gwathiel. Now, meet my wife, Amarië." He said, handing her to the white-blond haired elleth who took her gently.

"Hello, Eruanna. It is a pleasure to-" then the elleth stumbled to a halt, looking at the elfling who looked back with a sudden, knowing smile. Amarië gasped.

"That's- that's not- how?" She cried, looking to Finrod. Ecthelion snorted.

"I was wondering when they would notice something odd about my little golden flower, gwador. I win the bet." He said smugly, and Finrod groaned. Eruanna sighed. Arafinwë and Eärwen looked confused.

"Ammë, Atto, how could you?" Finrod moaned, but winked at Eruanna, who gave him a strained smile.

"Bet?" Amarië demanded.

"Well, I bet that Ammë or Atto would see something uncannily familiar about Eruanna, but Ecthelion bet it would be someone other than them." Was Finrod's rueful reply, to which Arafinwë and Eärwen immediately looked to a clearly uncomfortable Eruanna. Eärendil chuckled.

"I was wondering how that would play out." Was his only comment as he wrapped an arm around Elwing, who smiled.

"Ammë, Atto, Eruanna's full name is Eruanna Glorfindelithel of the House of the Golden Flower once of Gondolin, or her father-name, Laurëfindilmë Laurëfindelithel." Finrod declared.

Arafinwë gasped as Amarië and Eärwen let out a cry.

LOTRLOTRLOTR

"Well, that went well." Oromë's sarcastic tone made Tulkas boom in laughter where the Valar gathered in Ilmarin on Taniquetil.

"It could have been worse." Tulkas answered amusedly.

"From your lips to Atar's ears." Oromë chided with a grin, and Tulkas chuckled.

"Too true." He answered.

The other Valar rolled their eyes at the banter but smiled. "Speaking of which, it's a good thing that Eruanna is going to live with Arafinwë. It will help her." Manwë mused thoughtfully.

"That's true, too. However, what will her presence do for them?" Varda pointed out.

Irmo suddenly laughed. "Convince Amarië and Finrod that they need their own little elfling if nothing else." Was his wicked answer, and the Valar all laughed heartily at the thought.

"I'm sure Eärwen would appreciate it." Estë said amusedly.

"What it will do- besides that-" Manwë quirked a smile- "is present a foundation for her movement to Ingwë, then Eärendil, and then ultimately Olwë." Was his enigmatic answer.

"Ah. That's very true." Ulmo spoke up. "I have been rather busy attempting to keep Falmaron and HIM, erm- away from Tirion for at least a year." He gave them a wry look, to which they laughed.

"Well, good luck with that." Tulkas snorted. "Knowing Falmaron..." He shook his head amusedly.

"Indeed. Well, we shall see how it turns out, shall we?" Manwë said knowingly, turning to send Nàmo a smile, which was returned.

"Yes, we shall see how my Nàmiel grows up." Tulkas laughed, and far away in the ports of Alqualondë, the waves heightened as the ground shook, though not so much to cause damage. The elves merely shrugged, guessing it to be a minor earthquake far out at sea.

No one noticed the worried look that flashed across Námo's face for a brief moment as they dispersed.


	9. Royalty, Relapse, Rages, and Rain

_Hi guys! I'm here with another chapter... Sorry it takes me a while to update, but life has really been so busy that I don't have time to write anymore because of sheer exhaustion. Thanks for still following and reviewing, though, it encourages me a lot!_

 _WARNING: there is a memory that may be disturbing to some people. Read at your own risk._

 _Please, read!_

 _Enjoy! Review!_

* * *

Chapter 9

 _I now live in the royal palace at Tirion with Arafinwë Noldoran as my Atya, queen Eärwen as my Emmë, and Prince Findárato, princess Amarië, lady Galadriel, lord Celeborn, and Ecthelion as my brothers and sisters._

 _Our adoption into the family and our heritage is supposed to be announced tomorrow formally in court. I'm nervous._

 _I miss my old journal, but lord Eärendil says that lady Celébrian and lord Elrond now live in Aewellond with him, and they are keeping it safely for me along with my other things. But Gwador was nice enough to give me this journal._

 _Lord Eär'dil and lady Elwing left to go back to Aewellond, but they told me that they would see me sometime, so I guess I have to be content with that._

 _When I told them my story, Atya was shaking his head, Emmë and Amarië were crying, and Gwador Finrod looked unhappy. He was surprised when I talked about Ciaran. I think lady Galadriel may have said something about that too, because I saw that they exchanged looks. I remember nearly everything now, though still not quite all. I still don't have many memories of my childhood yet._

 _I don't really know why they're so sad. I don't feel sad anymore, but I guess it's because I'm reborn. Ecthelion seemed a little confused too, but I think he thinks the same thing as I do. We don't really have too many emotional connections with our memories yet._

 _I like Atya and Emmë and Gwador and Amarië. Atya is really nice. I like it when he smiles. He's very kind too, but I know he's also a King because I can see it in his eyes. Emmë gave me milk and cookies, and Amarië hugged me a lot. But I love otorno and gwador best._

 _I love gwador because we have a bond like the ones I have with otorno and Glorfy. Otorno and gwador are good friends now._

 _I share a room with otorno Ecthelion._

 _I wonder how is Ingil?_

 _I miss Glorfindel._

 _My stomach aches a little. I don't know why it does..._

The new journal lay on top of the desk in the room, while Eruanna and Ecthelion slept on the bed, Eruanna curled into Ecthelion as he clutched her tightly even in sleep.

Eruanna's face screwed up tightly as she whimpered, shuddering as she curled into a ball. There was no candle in the room.

 _Eyes. They were there all over again, eyes in the dark... laughing... mocking... Unearthly screams echoing that matched the ones rebounding in her head..._

 _A blaze of fire, and a loud whistling as the only warning before the horrendously familiar dirt room was filled with light accompanied by a snap of breaking flesh._

 _A silent scream of agony. Writhing in a puddle of sweat and tears and mud. The burning whip curled around her shoulders, cauterizing any open wounds, burning her skin black._

 _The Balrog continued in laziness, until he got bored and left the room, the whip dragging behind him until the light died out. Its last object of illumination was the face of a little elfling, unconscious and wracked with pain and anguish._

Eruanna flew up, screaming at the top of her lungs... again. She flailed, the blankets becoming leather restraints that bit into her skin and almost seemed to make her flesh tangibly burn.

Ecthelion was up, attempting to calm her, but it wasn't working at all. There was no candle. Fionwë was not there. Glorfindel was not by her side. It was all wrong.

Finrod, Amarië, Eärwen, and Arafinwë burst into the room, hastily dressed in nightgowns and robes, all of them with concern etched on their faces. Ecthelion backed away, his expression one of fright and concern. Finrod attempted to stop them from trying to touch her, to no avail, as she fought them off, still screaming.

"Thel! Has she done this before!" Finrod yelled at Ecthelion, who shook his head helplessly over the din.

"Ammë, Atto, Amarië, daro!" He shouted, and the force of his command was so that they obeyed, stepping back as he made his way to the side of the bed.

"Eruanna, penneth- Laurëfindilmë!" He called in concern. At first there had been no reaction, but at the sound of her father-name she stilled, unearthly silence filling the room, only her quiet, wracking sobs breaking the dark stillness. Finrod gently took her into his arms, and she clung to him, weeping.

"Gwador." She sobbed. "The dark." She shook. "Can't- I can't- the dark- Fionwë!" She wailed, and the room was suddenly filled with the smell of lemongrass and peppermint as Fionwë appeared, his face filled with compassion as he smiled at them and then took Eruanna into his arms.

"You promised, Fionwë, you promised there would be a candle." She whimpered, and Fionwë sighed.

"I know, my child, forgive me. See? Here." A candle appeared next to the bed, and the soft glow illuminated the room slightly. Eruanna refused to let go of the Maia.

She stopped crying, however, and instead merely sniffled, clinging to his neck. "Fionwë." She whispered exhaustedly, curling into him tightly.

"There now, Eruanna, won't you let your Atya and Emmë know that you're going to be alright now?" The Maia asked gently, and Eruanna allowed herself to be pried away and put into the arms of Arafinwë.

"Atya." She whimpered, and Arafinwë stroked her hair.

"Shh, hinya, I know. I'm sorry. I should have thought to put a candle in the room." He said softly, and she shook her head. Eärwen and Amarië merely hugged her gently, whispering reassurances into her ears before she was passed to Finrod, who rocked her gently.

"I know, Fin'ilmë." He said softly. "I did the same too, when I was reborn. I didn't like the dark. Lord Nàmo gave me a stuffed animal." He said, and Eruanna managed a wobbly smile. There was a sudden coalescence of light, and Nàmo appeared next to Ecthelion, rubbing the ellon's back gently as he handed him a glass of water.

"Drink, Ecthelion, there is no need to be afraid." He said gently but firmly, and color came back to Ecthelion's cheeks as he obeyed. Nàmo turned to Eruanna.

"Come here, yeldë." He said gently, and Eruanna obediently went to the Vala. He gathered her into his cloak, and she curled into him with a sigh.

"I'm sorry, Atto. I was scared. The Balrog wasn't nice. It was d-dark, a-and he w-whipped me for a l-long t-time." The child stuttered through chattering teeth. Ecthelion moaned, and the rest turned pale and sat down. Nàmo sighed and gave Fionwë a thin smile.

"You have done well, Fionwë, thank you." He said, and the Maia bowed and left, fading away and leaving behind the faint smell of peppermint and lemongrass.

"I know, Eruanna. I know. But it is over now, they are merely phantoms of the night. They cannot hurt you, for they are immaterial. Face the demons, child, and they will flee from you." Nàmo said, stroking the elfling's hair in an intimate gesture that she welcomed. Eruanna nodded.

"O-okay, Atto." She whispered tremulously. Then Nàmo handed her what was presumably a small stuffed toy, which she took with a weak smile. Nàmo smiled, handing her to Ecthelion after kissing her brow.

"Sleep well, child. Oh, and his name is Esgal." Nàmo added, before he was gone. The bundle in her arms squirmed. Eruanna yelped, dropping it and scrambling into Ecthelion's arms. The bundle whimpered. Everyone stared.

*It's a gift from Oromë.* Nàmo's amused voice wafted slightly through the room. The- thing- squirmed, letting out a muffled bark.

Then Arafinwë sighed. "Two elflings and a pet. Thank you, lord Oromë, lord Nàmo." He groused, and the room suddenly burst into laughter.

Then they crowded around the bed, watching the little bundle as it stirred. Eruanna carefully picked it up, and was attacked with a pink tongue to the face as the little thing squiggled in joy, yapping happily. Eruanna giggled, trying to hold it away from her.

"Stop, Esgal!" She begged, and the thing immediately stopped. That's when she noticed what he was. "Esgal's a wolf cub, Atya." She informed them. Arafinwë sighed.

"Very well, Eruanna. It can't be much worse than the time Findárato brought home a baby bear cub." He answered dryly, and Finrod immediately began to protest as the rest laughed.

When they finally fell asleep, Ecthelion was clutching Eruanna who was clutching a happily sleeping Esgal whose tail was whacking Finrod's hand, who in turn was curled up to Amarië while Arafinwë and Eärwen huddled together at the headboard watching over their children with fond smiles. Fionwë, watching them unclad, smiled.

LOTRLOTRLOTR

Eruanna was safely squeezed between Ecthelion and Esgal, waiting for Arafinwë to call them before the council that had been gathered. Finrod sat next to Arafinwë as usual, and Eruanna clung to Ecthelion's hand. They were waiting behind a door, which a guard would open when they were called.

They strained their ears to listen to what Arafinwë would say. "My lords, before we continue, I would also like to introduce to you the two new family members of my household." He declared, and there was a murmuring that quickly died out.

The guard opened the door, and Ecthelion went first, taking a deep, shaky breath. His hair was in the warrior braids of his house as he dressed in deep blue, silver, and white robes embroidered with Arafinwë's symbol, while Eruanna's hair was left loose and she was dressed in gold and white and pale blue, all embroidered with Arafinwë's symbol as well. She trailed after Ecthelion, while Esgal stayed behind on her request.

She immediately felt many pairs of eyes on her, and almost felt like running back to Esgal and safety. Ecthelion looked pale as he took his place next to Finrod, who placed an arm around his shoulders, murmuring reassurances. His face regained some color, even smiling slightly. Eruanna sidled up to Arafinwë and clutched his robe, as the King smiled and picked her up.

"This, lords, is Ecthelion, former lord of the House of the Fountain of Ondolin that once was-" he paused for a moment for the murmurs to die down, "-and the otornor of my sons Findárato and Glorfindel." He finished. Then he turned to Eruanna.

"And this is Eruanna Glorfindelithel of the House of the Golden Flower, the blood-sister of lord Glorfindel, newly Reborn." He declared, and the room erupted. Arafinwë raised a hand, and silence settled over the court. Then he sat, as did everyone else, and Eruanna felt herself grow even more nervous.

"They are now my wards and are under my protection as newly Reborn. You will have a chance to speak with them when this council is dismissed. For now, shall we go on?" But they knew that it was not a question. Arafinwë nodded in satisfaction as there was no answer, and gestured his hand to his son Finrod.

"This court is now opened to concerns that any of you may have." Finrod said noncommittally, opening the floor for anyone else to speak, his hand still on Ecthelion's shoulder, who was suddenly looking bored. Eruanna sympathized. She, too, was bored of the endless issues that had to be dealt with as a King or Queen.

Her mind wandered back to the times when she could remember sitting in Elrond's councils with Glorfindel, her mind zoning out from the conversations as it was doing now. She vaguely registered that Arafinwë set her down on the floor, and out of habit she began to crawl around the large table where the different lords sat, although she wasn't paying any attention to any of it all.

However, as she continued her aimless movement, she suddenly realized that the guards stationed around the room were watching her carefully as she passed, and that there was shouting going on in the room. She sat down, thumb in her mouth as she surveyed the arguing lords and her mind came back to the present.

Arafinwë and Findárato were sitting at the head of the table, faces emotionless and unimpressed, though Eruanna could tell from their auras that they were irritated. Ecthelion looked both bored and annoyed, though he was making a valiant effort to hide it. Eruanna got worried. A bored Reborn is a dangerous Reborn, as everyone knows.

"-it's all... All..." A lord snarled, attempting to find the proper words for his expression that weren't offensive. Eruanna stood to her feet and moved next to the lord, sitting back down. He glanced down at her.

"Pweenorch." She promptly offered. Silence settled over the whole room as attention snapped to her. Ecthelion was trying to smother his snickers. Eruanna looked at them innocently, tilting her head to the side.

"Pweenorch." She deliberately mispronounced, sticking her thumb in her mouth. Then Finrod began to roar with laughter, sitting back with tears streaming down his cheeks along with Ecthelion. Arafinwë raised an eyebrow.

"A word you know, yonya?" He asked his son dryly.

Finrod attempted to speak as Eruanna smiled smugly. "G-Glorfindel's favorite oath-" he choked. Arafinwë's eyebrows shot up until they almost disappeared in his hairline. Eruanna scrambled over to a guard and clutched his leg, sticking out her tongue at Finrod who was shaking with laughter.

"Pui-en-orch?" Arafinwë queried the elfling, sounding faintly amused. "I do believe your brother has corrupted you, little one." He said. "Although I will admit it is quite... Fitting." He admitted dryly, and the guard that Eruanna was taking shelter behind snorted, winking down at her. He was dark-haired and eyed, and she smiled back cheekily, realizing him as the Reborn that he was. It was something in the eyes.

Finrod and Ecthelion had finally managed to calm down. "Well now, Eruanna. Thank you. Your- erm- maturity?- has quite put these elflings to shame." Arafinwë said pointedly, and the lords had grace enough to sit and look abashed. The particular lord that she had offered the word to gave her a considering look that made her look away, cheeks flushed.

The guard knelt and whispered in her ear. "Welcome, my lady Eruanna. I am Haldir Pelendurion, a friend of Glorfindel when he was reborn here in Aman, under the services of King Arafinwë. Lord Pelendur, who you so well helped, is mine father." He said softly, and Eruanna started, turning to him with wide eyes.

"Mae Govannen, Haldir." She replied softly. "Glorfindel spoke of you and- and- lady- Gwilwileth?- highly." She whispered. And Haldir gave her a surprised but pleased look and nod.

"Is that so? Well then, my lady, I thank you for your kindness." He answered, and she shook her head.

"Eruanna." She insisted, and he inclined his head.

"Princess Eruanna." He winked, and she gave him a mock-annoyed look to which he chuckled slightly before standing once more to his post while Eruanna crawled back to Ecthelion, who picked her up and poked her as she squirmed in reply.

All too soon and yet too fast, to Eruanna's mind, the council was over and dismissed, and she and Ecthelion were being surrounded by many lords. She retreated into Ecthelion's robe, feeling very small and smothered, and even Ecthelion looked pale, clutching her tightly like she was a stuffed toy.

"Cease this!" Finrod's voice carried over the babble, who immediately hushed. Finrod came next to them and gently placed his hands on them reassuringly before turning to the lords. "They are newly Reborn and emotionally unstable. Please, do not provoke them or smother them." He said in a voice of ice, and they retreated somewhat. Finrod turned and held out his arms to Eruanna, who accepted the invitation with alacrity and swallowed, burying herself into his arms.

"My lord Findárato, how comes it that lord Glorfindel has a sister?" Lord Pelendur asked politely, no rancor in his tone.

Finrod gave them a thin smile. "As for that, the answer is a long one that I shall tell you in short form. When Glorfindel went back to Arda, as you well know, he was unaware that he had any other family besides his parents..." And he told Eruanna's story to them, as she curled up in his arms, holding onto Ecthelion's finger, whose story was also told.

Silence settled after the tale was told, and Arafinwë swept forwards, placing an arm around a pale Ecthelion. "Be calm, Ecthelion." He murmured quietly. "Come, we shall leave now, shall we?" He asked, and Ecthelion nodded mutely, clinging to Arafinwë's arm.

"Yes please, Atya." He whispered. Several lords looked disapproving of the familiar form of address, but Finrod merely bowed to the people and began to follow his father out of the room, smiling down at a sleepy-looking Eruanna.

Until they went into the antechamber. Then he scoffed. "You would think that after all the Reborn that they have encountered that they would know better. But no, they don't!" He said disgustedly, and Eruanna squirmed.

"Gwador, Gwador, where Haldir?" She asked, reaching out for Esgal. He picked Esgal up and deposited the wolf cub in her arms as she squeezed him and he yapped happily to see his mistress.

"Haldir Pelendurion? Ah, he introduced himself did he?" Finrod asked, and she nodded. "Did Glorfindel tell you how our other Gwador Sador found him?" He asked amusedly just as said elf came in. Upon seeing Eruanna giggling madly, Haldir sighed and rolled his eyes.

"My lord, must you insist on airing that before everyone?" The ellon protested half-heartedly, smiling amusedly despite himself as Ecthelion snickered.

"Of course, Haldir, it's not everyday that you see an ellon's wife trying to coax him out from a tree." Finrod replied slyly, and Haldir groaned as Eruanna and Ecthelion collapsed laughing and Arafinwë rolled his eyes good-naturedly at the banter.

"Well. Should we not go out to eat, before your Ammë decides to roast us instead?" The King asked amusedly, and they went off to eat, laughing as Eruanna and Ecthelion spun tales of life in Arda.

LOTRLOTRLOTR

Days went on, turning into weeks and months. Each day, Eruanna remembered another piece of her life with Glorfindel, until she finally retrieved all of her memories- except for the ones of her life in Gondolin. But she knew that they would come much slower. Somehow, she felt that it would help her understand more about herself when they did come.

She met Haldir's wife Gwilwileth and their father Pelendur, who treated Eruanna and Ecthelion with grave respect and seemed to love his daughter-in-law despite their rocky past.

She and Ecthelion rapidly accustomed themselves to life as wards of Arafinwë in the Palace at Tirion, though they, of course, as Reborn, did cause much mischief and trouble to the amusement of the whole household. Their story spread rapidly throughout the city, and many looked upon Ecthelion as much a hero as they had Glorfindel. Eruanna they regarded with a sort of fascinated awe, though no one ever thought of her as particularly great or special. Which pleased Eruanna much, because then she could learn so much more about the elves who she met.

Esgal grew quickly, until by the second month he was nearly as large as Eruanna was. She rode on him like a little steed, and he was always careful to bear her safely. Often she was to be seen riding on him clutching his ears gently, while he panted happily. The wolf grew a thick, shimmering blue pelt that went well with his icy blue eyes and white underbelly.

An interesting point in the two months was meeting Vorondur, son of lord Aldundil who was the court illuminator. Vorondur had come for a visit to his former master Finrod from where he lived in Lòrien as a Lóriennildi. Eruanna had seen him several times, and was pleased to see him again.

All in all it had been a rather calm two months for two Reborn, and Arafinwë was dreading the inevitable eruption that was to certainly happen after such a calm. He and Finrod had both agreed that some large fiasco of trouble was long overdue as it was, and they were taking precautions to try to avoid too much damage. But the expected eruption didn't happen for a while- yet.

It all started so innocently. It started very well, in fact, in a very impressive way. The whole city was preparing for the yearly harvest feast, which would take place on the sixth day of the week. All of the people would come to the palace grounds where a celebration would be hosted.

All of the cooks were busy, preparing the meats from the hunts and the bounteous harvests of the year for the large crowds that would come. The palace was in an uproar, attempting to get ready for the day.

There would be feasts, speeches, praise and thanks to the Valar and Eru, and the music guild would preform for the occasion, along with tournaments and competitions among the Warriors and other guilds.

Eruanna and Ecthelion had been trying to stay out of the way of the rest of the servants, retreating to far gardens or rooms and occupying their time by reading, playing their flutes, or even talking with each other about their memories and experiences. Their times together were private and cherished by them both, and Eruanna's love towards Ecthelion was just as clear as his devotion and fondness of her.

So when the day of the celebration finally neared and the royal family retired to a private chamber for fellowship and rest in the evening, they were surprised upon entering to find Eruanna sitting on the windowsill as Ecthelion was speaking to her about something. It was not so much the scenario they were surprised at, but rather the manner in which they were conversing. Galadriel immediately gestured for them to remain silent and watch, to their bewilderment, but interested by the look in her eyes, stood quietly.

"Waters. They fascinate me so much that I cannot even describe what I feel about it. The way they deny and defy boundaries, ever carving out paths for themselves, yet stay within their settled bounds at the same time." Ecthelion was saying passionately.

"They are a breach in the walls of the world, the chink in the armor of the earth. They make me want to believe that there is a chink in the armor of fate somewhere, waiting, biding their time to rush through and eke out a new fate, another destiny. That is what I wanted to be. I wanted to learn how to be small and yet impact many for the better." He finished wistfully, and the silent spectators turned to see how Eruanna would respond.

To their surprise, there was a dreamy smile on her face as she held her flute in her hands, her fingers dancing over it delicately. "A chink." She said quietly, her voice detached and wispy, barely breathing the words. "In the armor of the world- a breach within the earth- a flood of ideas and thoughts that make way to forge the future..." She murmured, and the flute lifted to her lips.

Galadriel took in a slight intake of breath, and her family looked to her, surprised at the display of emotion from the normally stoic elleth. But Galadriel looked as impassive as ever but for her eyes, which glowed with anticipation. Celeborn looked as though he were struggling with the urge to flee and yet stay.

And then the sound of the flute, clear and sharp, cut through the air like a delicate blade, whirling gracefully in a smooth, pointed dance. It started out with vibrating notes that rippled and almost caused them to believe that the air would move to make room for the powerfully small drops of sound.

Then the tone hardened, and became flat, rising and dipping but remaining monotone in rhythm, reminding them of the unyielding earth with its hills and valleys, ridges and drops. They climbed a mountain on the footprints of the rising notes, reaching the summit of the hill in a high note of triumph- then plunged over a cliff as the tune suddenly tumbled down in staccato and mangled, slurred notes, their bones bouncing and jarring as the notes erratically went lower.

Until they hit the bottom. The flute gasped for breath, jerkily inhaling with breathy notes. Eruanna's fingers moved over the keys, pressing methodically and making them watch her, hypnotized and drawn into the spell that she weaved around them and clogged the air, packing them so tightly into place that they were forced to stand still and listen.

Then a wall rose before them, starting low and near the ground before rising in sharps and flats up as their minds scaled the wall, smooth and impenetrable. Then the notes began to search against the wall with probing, demanding fingers, poking sharply. When nothing gave, the fingers melted into liquid, pooling in the air and swirling in patterns that went around and around in captivating circles of sound.

Then the water began to move across the base of the wall, seeking, melting against the barrier, caressing the smooth wall. Then it suddenly plunged. It broke through, and the flute burst into a roar of sound, rising and falling in chaotic waves, shoving through the one crack and widening it. The flute gave a note that sounded like a sharp crack, and then the tune splintered.

It burst into disjointed yet harmonic sounds, little snatches of unrelated tunes that somehow melded into a jumbled mass that still sounded like music. The wall crumbled as the water won, carving a new path for itself like a raging Mûkmail, yet calming as it came down from the adrenaline of its frenzied push.

The tune bubbled down into a gurgling, shaking, trembling mass of harmonized notes, and then morphed into a little creek that frothed merrily, a gay and light tune that reminded them of little fireflies dancing and flashing in the night. Then it turned into a dreamy melody, full of hints of ideas, of creativity- and of inspiration.

It dreamed, presenting its store of thoughts to them in rapid succession as the notes flew by, Eruanna's fingers running over the flute in an easy yet quick pattern. Then it began to accumulate, piling up until the notes began to crowd each other, shoving and pushing to make way against the rapidly lessening space of the room that suddenly seemed small and confined in their ears.

Until it exploded. It burst into a song of triumph, just as the water had, the notes dancing in maniacal glee and laughing as they stampeded out the window in a rush, escaping the boundaries of the room like ideas flowing from the mind. It became fainter and fainter, the noises of the laughter and trampling feet dying away into nothing. The flute gave one last breath of mingled relief and satisfaction, and silence settled.

"Exactly." Ecthelion said with satisfaction in his voice, and then both he and Eruanna started and turned to the door at the gasps that rose from that area. Arafinwë held up a reeling Eärwen as Finrod did the same with Amarië, while Galadriel smiled lightly and Celeborn had a contemplative look on his face. Arafinwë and Finrod looked dazed. Ecthelion and Eruanna stared at them with looks as though they had been caught in a compromising situation, and Arafinwë came to first.

"You- Eruanna- that was..." But words deserted him as he shook his head, speechless. Finrod led Amarië to a couch and gently helped her to sit down as color slowly returned to her face.

"It was incredible." Finrod finished, and Eruanna looked highly uncomfortable, her face red as she squirmed in embarrassment.

"Thank you, Eruanna." Galadriel said simply, and the elfling merely nodded, flustered. Ecthelion was smiling faintly.

"She is my protégé." He said proudly, and Eruanna blushed and her face lightened at the praise. Eärwen smiled slightly, recovering.

"Eruanna, will you play at the feast?" She asked, and Eruanna stiffened as everyone snapped to, nodding.

"It would be good." Arafinwë was saying. "It would show the populace-" but then he noticed that both Eruanna and Ecthelion were staring at each other, eyes glazed as they relieved a memory together. Finrod shook his head at the concerned looks given him.

"Memory." He answered quietly as they nodded in understanding, relieved.

Then Ecthelion stirred first. "I remember that." He said as Eruanna slowly nodded. "We never did finish writing that piece, did we?" He asked with a grin. "Ingil interrupted us to drag us off to lord Irmo's pavilion for a picnic." He said.

Eruanna nodded more enthusiastically, and Ecthelion turned to Arafinwë. "We could compose a piece for the feast, Atya." He said excitedly. "We never finished it, and I can remember it still." He said, and Arafinwë smiled.

"Then we will look forwards to it." He answered. Eruanna scrambled down from the window, and carefully setting down her flute, ran to Finrod and clambered into his lap. He chuckled and dandled her on his knees as she crowed in delight and reached up to bat at his thin circlet of simple silver. Everyone involuntarily smiled indulgently at the elfling as she stood up on Finrod's lap precariously and stole his coronet, waving it about in triumph before sticking it on her own head. It drooped over one of her eyes as she shoved it back up and Finrod laughed at her.

She stretched her arms up to him, looking into his face with an expression of adoring admiration as she grasped a lock of his hair and he bent over her with a fond smile. Ecthelion lounged lazily in his chair, humming her tune absently as Amarië stroked Eruanna's hair and Arafinwë and Eärwen watched the scene contentedly. Galadriel and Celeborn merely smiled knowingly, and Galadriel looked at him with a secretive smile.

"She is meant to be the binding tie of the elves." She murmured to him privately, and he simply nodded in reply.

"Indeed."

And as the sun set through the window and Eruanna turned her head to look at them, her hair gleaming brightly in the waning light, she gave them a brief, wintry smile and her eyes were dark with a preternatural light that they could not name.

LOTRLOTRLOTR

"Indeed." Manwë echoed the words of Celeborn as he sat with Varda, Nàmo, and Tulkas in Ilmarin.

"Hmm." Varda hummed in satisfaction. "I cannot wait to see what they come up with at the festival." She said interestedly, and Manwë smiled.

"I can't wait until she grows up." Tulkas muttered, and Nàmo rolled his eyes.

"Always so hasty." He said good-naturedly, and Tulkas snorted.

"Ha! Says the one who was most impatient for our little elfling to get here, hmm?" The Vala of War quipped, grinning unrepentantly as Nàmo gave him an unconvincing glare.

"For good reason." Nàmo sniffed, and Manwë chuckled at their banter while Varda rolled her eyes and muttered about the pride of Nerí. Tulkas merely snickered.

"My question is when will it happen?" Tulkas then said.

Manwë smiled enigmatically. "All in good time, Tulkas, all in proper time." He said amusedly. "It'll happen soon."

"Ah, but all times are soon for us." Nàmo said slyly, and Manwë gave him a sniff.

"Spoil sport." He accused as Tulkas groaned disappointedly at the lack of answer.

"Oh please, just say 'after the feast' and be done with it, Manwë." Varda scoffed and Manwë sulked.

"I have to have my fun, love." He sighed, and Varda smiled smugly.

"Oh, but I can be much more fun." She said suggestively, and Tulkas and Nàmo rolled their eyes.

"Please, my lady, save it until we leave, we're not finished yet." Tulkas said dryly, and Manwë merely smiled, a gleam in his eye.

"Oh, we'll be talking weddings soon enough where our elfling is concerned. She's a natural matchmaker." He chuckled, and Nàmo groaned.

"Please Manwë, she's never made a match in her life!" He protested.

"Oh, hasn't she?" Manwë retorted.

"That one doesn't count." Nàmo answered tartly.

"Hey, don't I get a say in any of it?" Tulkas complained, and they glared at him.

"No." Was the simultaneous answer as he sulked and Varda sighed, shaking her head helplessly.

"What about the sigil?" She interjected, and the two Valar turned to her.

"A year." They answered in tandem, and then raised eyebrows.

"I saw it." Nàmo explained, and Manwë nodded.

"Well then, that's settled. She's coming to me in a year. Come on, little brother, let's leave these two lovebirds to it." Tulkas nodded, and then proceeded to drag a protesting judge of the dead away from Ilmarin.

Varda sidled up to Manwë, hugging his arm. "We can do an early celebration." She said slyly, and Manwë merely bent down to answer her without words.

It was a while before any Maiar were called to report to their lord and lady.


	10. Sador, Slyness, Shyness, and Smiles

_In order to try to make it up to you for being gone so long, I have attempted to make this chapter longer than usual. I hope I have succeeded. Eruanna says hello, as does all of our dear favorite characters, and I hope this chapter will prove to be delightfully fluffy as well as annoyingly premonitory. So without further ado, please,_

 _Read!_

 _Enjoy!_

 _Review!_

* * *

Chapter 10

Eruanna and Ecthelion, for the rest of the two days that they had to prepare for the feast, were busy trying to finish and polish the short piece that they composed together. It was a duet that they composed and intended to play together.

But when the day finally came, they were ready and eager to see what would happen on the big day. Arafinwë came to them that morning with an order as their Atya, to which they listened carefully.

"Now, Ecthelion, Eruanna, my children, I would ask that you do something." He had said, and they had paid attention to him in respect. "I know that you don't have so much to do by way of work, but I would like you to look around the guilds at the feast today and try to find something you are interested in. Perhaps a craft or something of the sort." Arafinwë suggested.

"If you find something that you would like to do, then you could work towards a goal to join the guild if it so suits you." He finished, and then looked at them sternly. "Even if you do not find anything, I want you to look nonetheless. And behave." He said, and they had nodded meekly.

Eruanna had sidled up to him, hugging his robes. "Iss Atya." She'd said. "We try."

And he had smiled amusedly before picking her up to kiss her gently. "That's my little elleth." He approved. "Now, run off, Eruanna, I do believe Amarië prepared a dress for you for the occasion." He said. So she had nodded as he set her down, and after giving Ecthelion a hug, ran off along with Esgal who was always by her side to find Amarië.

She finally found the elleth in the solar, busy preparing along with Eärwen and Galadriel for the feast. Galadriel had welcomed Eruanna warmly and smiled at her as the elfling curtsied. "Come, Eruanna, child." The former lady of Lothlòrien said, and Eruanna had come forwards, with Esgal sitting by the door.

Then Amarië began to hold up several different dresses in front of the slightly squirming elfling, with Eärwen giving suggestions which one was best. But then, suddenly the smell of peppermint and lemongrass had filled the air. Eruanna squealed and threw herself towards the Maia that appeared in the center of the room with a slight smile. He chuckled and swung her up.

"Fionwë!" Eruanna cheered, and bestowed a kiss upon her Maia's cheek. Fionwë smiled and stroked the elfling's hair fondly as Eärwen and Amarië had stood there in only slight surprise, while Galadriel looked as unruffled as always.

"Greetings, lady Eärwen, Amarië, Galadriel." Fionwë bowed, and they had returned the greetings warmly.

"What brings you here, lord Fionwë?" Amarië asked with a smile.

"Eruanna, in fact." Was the Maia's answer. "I was- ah- asked to bring her this." He said, handing Eruanna a bolt of cloth, which the elfling took with a puzzled look to the Maia who smiled in reply.

"It's from your- er- Atto, Eruanna." Was his answer before setting her down as her mouth opened in an 'O' "He would like to see you don it for the feast. Now, if you will excuse me, I am merely passing through on an errand for my lord." He finished, and with a smile in Eruanna's direction, faded away, leaving behind the smell of lemongrass and peppermint.

After a moment of startled silence, Eärwen spoke up. "Atto-? Ah." She suddenly understood, and Eruanna shook her head in confusion before spreading out the small dress.

She tilted her head at it before a small smile crossed her face. It was crushed blue watered silk, trimmed with silver at the hems and a single emblem on the front of a symbol of a sun-in-eclipse stitched in silver. The sleeves came up to her elbows before widening slightly and pooling around her wrists. And then Eruanna let out a cry and clutched a necklace that had been placed in the dress as well. She carefully clasped it around her throat, the familiar golden flower tipped with opals and centered with a sapphire sitting between her collarbones.

Galadriel smiled as Eärwen and Amarië admired it. "It was well made." Eärwen noted. Eruanna had a faint smile on her face.

"It was made by my friend, a dwarf." She answered, almost slyly, and Eärwen and Amarië were surprised into silence as Galadriel gave the elfling a secretive, knowing smile that was returned. Then Eruanna slipped on the dress happily, squirming until she was comfortable.

Her hair had been done up in a simple braid that marked her as being from the House of the Golden Flower, and a thin fillet of silver was settled on her brow on insistence of Amarië.

When they had finally gone down from the solar, Eruanna had immediately made for Ecthelion, reaching up to clutch his robe. Ecthelion picked her up, and she gave him a grin as he poked her.

"The Tol-Eresseans will be here as well, you know." Finrod was saying. "You'll finally get to meet Sador and Alassiel, Ecthelion, Eruanna." He said eagerly, and they had nodded. Glorfindel had mentioned Sador to Eruanna several times, and she was eager to meet the ellon that was her dear brother's gwador with whom so many adventures had been shared.

"Well, shall we go?" Arafinwë asked, and with a nod, they had filed out of the palace into the city square. Arafinwë escorted Eärwen at the head of the procession, Finrod escorting Amarië had followed, Galadriel and Celeborn were next, and lastly was Ecthelion and Eruanna, with Eruanna perched sidesaddle on Luno who walked proudly next to the Lord of the Fountain.

They walked out to the square, where the people stood about and bowed to the royal family as they passed. Arafinwë, Eärwen, Finrod, and Amarië smiled and nodded back, greeting various friends and lords as they passed. They went to the platform that was set in the center of the square for the royals to sit upon and watch the festivities.

There were also fourteen thrones that had been set up on the platform, and everyone knew that they were for the Valar. Eruanna looked at the thrones and decided that the one to the far right was her Atto Nàmo's throne, seeing the symbol of the sun-in-eclipse on the back. Ecthelion grabbed her hand and they walked to the chairs that had been set up, though both were nervous.

Eruanna was rather uncomfortable being in front of so many people, and she could tell that Ecthelion was too, though he didn't show it as much as she was sure she did. Arafinwë sat in the center, with Eärwen at his left, and Finrod and Amarië at his right. Galadriel and Celeborn sat next to Eärwen at the left, and Ecthelion was given a chair next to Amarië. Eruanna sat on a thick cushion at Finrod's feet along with Esgal, to her relief. Finrod bent to stroke her hair gently, and she smiled up at him.

Slowly, the people gathered, the commoners and merchants, lord and ladies all gathered together. The different guilds were all represented with their chosen spokesmen, and soon the square was filled with the murmuring of many.

Then, Eonwë materialized on the platform, hand on his sword as he announced his lords. "The Valar, lord Manwë, lady Varda-" and so he went on, and each of the Valar appeared and bowed, taking their places in their chairs on the dais.

All of them were dressed in splendorous robes, out-shining even Arafinwë, who was dressed in his most formal autumn court garb for the occasion. Lady Varda wore a crown of stars upon her head, and she bestowed upon them a benevolent smile that made even the stars pale in comparison.

Then Eonwë announced, at last, lord Nàmo and lady Vairë. Lord Nàmo, Eruanna noticed, was dressed in crushed blue velvet as well, forgoing his normal black and grey to wear a lighter color, trimmed in silver. The robe was long and came to his ankles, though it still showed his brown boots etched with silver. His dark hair was braided back in warrior braids, studded with jets, onyx, opals, and an occasional diamond. A coronet of silver sat upon his head with a single ruby in the center of a sun-in-eclipse.

Lady Vairë was dressed no less splendidly. She had on a lighter blue than her spouse, and the gown was trimmed in silver with orange sleeves. It reminded Eruanna of a gown Arwen had worn once. A pang went through her heart at the thought of the elleth. Lady Vairë also wore a pendant at her throat of a small teardrop-shaped ruby, and her hair was graced with a coronet of gold against her deep purple hair. Her violet eyes twinkled cheerily, making Eruanna's heart lighten.

But she also noticed lady Vána. The lady of youth was dressed in a rich yellow, almost golden gown, with green also embroidering the dress. Her hair was braided into a coronet, and at her throat hung a necklace that was familiar to Eruanna. It was the one she had made in Lòrien, and she could feel her cheeks heat in mingled pleasure and embarrassment at the sight of it. Vána turned and saw her, giving her a small smile.

Her fingers unconsciously crept to the sun-in-eclipse embroidered on her own gown, and then up to the golden flower that hung at her throat. She swallowed slightly, fingering a braid in her hair. Arafinwë stood and bowed to the Valar, who inclined their heads in return. Then he turned back to the people.

"Lords, ladies, my people. Today, we have gathered from far and near to celebrate the bounteous harvests that we have been graced with by the graciousness of the Valar and the One Who is over all. We have all come to give them praise and thanks, and together share our gatherings. To join as the firstborn and children of the stars, in camaraderie and friendship, and as family. May the Valar and the One see it fit to bless us, and may we always remember that they are here to promote peace and are concerned for our well-being. Praise be to the One over all, and thanks to His emissaries who deign to deal with us!" He finished, and a roar of agreement went up from the crowd.

Arafinwë raised a hand, and the crowd settled. Eruanna felt herself become excited at the joy and anticipation in the faces that she could see. "And I would like to welcome those from Tol Eresseä. Cáno Sador, lady Alassiel, would you please take your rightful places?" He asked politely, motioning to the chairs next to Galadriel.

Eruanna watched attentively as an ellon came forwards escorting an elleth. The elleth had dark hair and deep blue eyes, while the ellon had light, platinum blonde hair almost like Eruanna did, and liquid green eyes that reminded Eruanna almost of Aragorn's. But lighter.

So this was her Muindor's other Gwador. Sador bowed, as did Alassiel. "I thank you, my lord, for your warm welcome." He answered, and Arafinwë nodded. Sador sent a curious glance Eruanna's way as they sat, and Eruanna gave him a shy smile. He smiled warmly back, kindness in his eyes, and Eruanna fleetingly brushed his mind as Ciaran had taught her. She received a feeling of shyness and slight insecurity, yet confidence in the knowledge of love- and a faint wistfulness that she barely caught. She withdrew and pondered it slightly as Arafinwë went on.

"We welcome all from Tol Eresseä, all of the guilds and people, including the Reborn." Here he smiled and gentle laughter wafted from the crowds. Eruanna giggled silently.

"Now, let us fellowship together, and not forget to thank the cooks." Arafinwë smiled benevolently as the crowds roared in amused agreement. Sador and Finrod were laughing as they stood and set the example for the people as they hugged tightly.

"Gwador!" Sador exclaimed happily, and Eruanna smiled at them with a sad sort of happiness. The drop of bitterness in her cup of joy was the absence of her dear golden brother. Esgal, sensing his mistress' slight unhappiness, whined and nudged her arm. She petted his bushy blue ears with a smile and he subsided, mollified.

Ecthelion sat there awkwardly until Arafinwë beckoned to him. He stood and shyly stood next to the King of the Noldor, who also hugged Sador and Alassiel. "Sador, Alassiel, my children, look you here! This is your gwador Glorfindel's first Gwador, Ecthelion of the Fountain."

Sador looked at Ecthelion with no small amount of wonder, then seeing Ecthelion's uncomfortable blush, smiled. "It's hard, isn't it?" He asked. "I know what you feel. I, too, had none to take me in, until Glorfindel did with Finrod and lord Arafinwë also became my Atya." He smiled, and Ecthelion looked more relaxed at the familiar address.

"Yes." He answered more calmly. "I, too, am grateful to Atya for taking me in." He said softly. "But I couldn't have done it without my little golden flower." He shook his head, and Eruanna saw Sador start at the familiar title.

"Ah, yes." Arafinwë turned. "Eruanna, hinya, come here, my dear." He said kindly, and Eruanna stood, obediently moving towards the King.

"Iss, Atya?" She asked softly, shyly. Finrod scooped her up.

"Time to meet your gwador, Eruanna." He said jubilantly, and Eruanna looked to Sador, who looked understandably confused.

"Does she look familiar, Sador, Alassiel?" Arafinwë asked with an amused smile. Sador looked at Eruanna, who smiled back slightly, feeling mischief swell inside of her. Alassiel looked thoughtful.

"Her hair..." Sador murmured. "And her face... It looks like..."

Eruanna gave him a cheeky grin that she knew was an exact replica of Glorfindel's. Sador gasped.

"No, that's not... It's not... He never said anything- why didn't he say anything!?" He cried, and Alassiel looked confused.

"Because Glorfindel didn't know he had a sister, Sador." Finrod answered softly, and Alassiel also gasped.

"How could he not know?" Sador demanded.

"Because I was kept a secret." Eruanna admitted sadly, looking down at her hands. "It was supposed to be a surprise for him, because he had always wanted a younger sibling. He was away for so long at the borders, so I was twenty before it was supposed to be time... But that was midsummer's day..." She looked away with tears in her eyes, and Sador gasped in understanding.

"But what happened to you?" He asked.

Eruanna suddenly turned pale and refused to look at anyone, lips trembling. Ecthelion reached out, but Arafinwë took her first. "She was taken by the orcs for sport, Sador, for seven thousand years. This is why she is so small." He answered softly, and Alassiel cried out in horror. Sador looked pale.

"She met Glorfindel in Arda-" and Finrod told them the story as they sat down. Eruanna comforted herself by playing with Esgal, but she could feel the glances that Sador gave her. When the story was over, she smiled weakly at Sador.

"I heard much of you." She said shyly. "Glorfy always told me stories about you. He misses you." She offered, and Sador smiled.

"Thank you..." He gave her a questioning look, and she went forwards, climbing into his lap.

"Eruanna." She answered, and he hugged her gently.

"I'm pleased to meet you, Eruanna." He said gently, and she gave him a shy smile.

"You are insecure." She said, reaching up to touch his cheek as her eyes glazed slightly. "Why? There is so much love in your heart... You should not feel that way..." She murmured.

He started, looking at her in surprise, and then sighed. "You are right." He admitted, then smiled at her. "But I have always been insecure about my position." He answered.

Her eyes looked into his, and he fell into them just as everyone else who had looked so deeply into her eyes did. *But you shouldn't be.* Her voice said in his head.

 _But what can I do about it? It is just my nature._ He thought to himself despairingly.

*You must keep faith, Sador. The One would not have allowed you to be Cáno if he had not made you for such a purpose. Not everyone likes what they were meant to do. Think you I like my former life? Nay, but yet I still do not fully regret it, for see what good has come to pass because of it? Have faith.* She answered, and then withdrew.

Then she scrambled off of his lap and ran towards where the Valar were, leaving Sador behind dazed and reeling. Ecthelion gave an irritated sigh.

"I hate it when she does that." He groused. "She always makes me feel so guilty." He grumbled, and Finrod and Arafinwë burst into laughter as Sador recovered himself with a dazed smile.

Eruanna, in the meantime, was looking to where the Valar were greeting the elves who were bold enough to come to give their obeisance and greetings. Lord Nàmo was surrounded by the Reborn, though no other 'Onceborn' elf- as Glorfindel called them- dared to give their greetings to the Judge of the Dead.

Just then, a hand landed on her head, and she tilted her head up to see Haldir smiling down at her. She smiled back. "Well M'lady, shall we go greet lord Nàmo?" He asked, and Eruanna nodded, eyes lighting up.

He smiled and bent down, and she willingly allowed herself to be picked up as he stood and walked towards the Vala. "My wife is over there." He nodded to lady Vàna's side, and Eruanna looked to see pale haired, green eyed Gwilwileth speaking with the Valië.

Then they arrived near to lord Nàmo, just as the Reborn made their farewells and left. The Vala turned to look at them and then smiled. "Greetings, Haldir Pelendurion, Eruanna Glorfindelithel." He said with a smile, and Eruanna felt a shiver go up her spine at the sound of the Vala's dark, melodious voice.

Haldir bowed. "Greetings, my lord." He answered, and then grinned cheekily. "I trust you are well, and that no one has been making too much trouble?" He asked, and Nàmo threw back his head to laugh.

"Would that I could say no, Haldir, but I'm afraid that you Reborn are always making trouble for me." He winked, and then turned to Eruanna. "Thankfully, Eruanna has taken my bane out of the halls, so I can have a slight reprieve." He added humorously, and Eruanna giggled as Haldir looked confused.

"Oh." Then he understood and laughed. "Thou meanest lord Ecthelion." He said, and set Eruanna down. The elfling ran and hugged the Vala, much to Haldir's surprise, and even more baffling was that Nàmo picked her up and kissed her brow.

"Indeed I do." Nàmo answered with a fond smile, and then drew a hand through Eruanna's hair. "Now, yeldë, I trust you have had no more troubling dreams?" He asked, and Eruanna nodded solemnly.

"Iss Atto." She answered, and Haldir felt himself growing bewildered.

"Good." Nàmo replied with satisfaction, and tapped her nose, causing her to giggle. Finrod came up next to Haldir and clapped his shoulder.

"Greetings, my lord!" Finrod said with usual flippancy. "I've brought Sador to you." He said, and Sador bowed.

"Greetings, lord Nàmo." He said, and gave Eruanna a slightly startled, curious look.

"Greetings, Sador, Findárato." Nàmo replied with a benevolent smile. "I do trust that you have been well?" He asked.

"Aye, my lord, I have." Sador replied. "Lord Oromë has taught me much." He answered.

"Indeed? Good, good." Nàmo answered with a chuckle, passing Eruanna to Vairë, who took the elfling with a fond smile and kiss. Eruanna squealed and waved her arms, giggling happily.

"Ammë!" Her crow made Haldir and Sador start.

Finrod sniffed. "It's not fair." He whined playfully. "Why does she get to be gifted as a child to one of the Valar and not me?" He asked, causing Sador and Haldir to be even more bewildered.

Eruanna stuck out her tongue at Finrod. "'Cause you already have an Ammë and Atto, and I don't." She retorted smartly, and Finrod rolled his eyes amusedly.

"Oh fine, but I'll get you for that one later, impertinence." He mock-growled, and Eruanna merely grinned cheekily, making Sador laugh.

"You and Glorfindel are very alike, aren't you, Eruanna?" He called, and Eruanna nodded with clear satisfaction on her face, to their amusement.

Ecthelion came up. "Greetings, lord doom-and-gloom-take-that-you-stubborn-Noldor." He said cheerfully, and Eruanna nearly killed herself laughing as Nàmo gave him a glare and Finrod and Sador doubled over roaring.

"Ecthelion-" Nàmo began severely when Manwë came up with Varda.

"How is our niece doing?" Manwë asked with a smile. "And I quite agree, Ecthelion." He added, only causing the four miscreants to laugh even harder as Haldir shook his head, stifling his own smiles.

"Manwë, you're supposed to take my side, not theirs!" Nàmo complained, though the twinkle in his eyes gave him away.

"Ah, but I have to be honest, don't I?" Manwë replied innocently, and Eruanna tumbled out of Vairë's arms, still laughing. Esgal caught her by the scruff of her dress, and she squirmed.

"Esgal! Put me down!" She squealed, and he obeyed, dropping her. She scrambled up and begged a hug from Manwë, lifting herself on her toes with her arms outstretched. The Elder King chuckled and lifted her, kissing her brow.

"Ah, child. I assume you are well?" He asked with an indulgent smile. She nodded, then frowned and shook her head. Manwë raised an eyebrow.

"Why ever not?" He asked.

She gave a sly look at Nàmo. "My side hurts, and I'm scared of Atto." She informed him. Nàmo raised an eyebrow.

"Oh?" Nàmo asked suspiciously, and Finrod, Ecthelion, Sador, and Haldir looked back and forth between the contestants in the verbal spar. Eruanna nodded soberly.

"I nearly died laughing, and Atto said he'd kill me if he found me in his halls again." She said gravely, and Ecthelion began snickering again. "But I'm confused, Unca Manwë. If I'm already in his halls, how can he kill me?" She asked in all innocence, though the slight hitching of her shoulders proved otherwise. Nàmo sighed, rolling his eyes to the heavens as Manwë laughed at the elfling. Finrod was leaning against Sador for support as they roared.

"I've been wanting to ask that question for years." Sador gasped, sending them all into further paroxysms of amusement. Eruanna smiled at Nàmo, and he gave her a fond smile in reply. Eruanna squirmed down from Manwë's arms and then scrambled towards Esgal, who readily picked her up.

"Esgal, wanna go see!" She said, and he proudly marched off, with Eruanna holding onto his bushy ears as she giggled happily. The Valar and other elves watched her go with fondness, Ecthelion going after her.

"She is the only true elfling there is in Aman, now." Finrod said with a sigh. "We have not borne children for many years."

"And why would that be?" Vána asked, pausing as she heard the comment. She, too, had been watching after the elfling fondly.

"I do not quite know, my lady. Perhaps it is because they feel that our future is uncertain." Finrod said thoughtfully. Then he gave a rueful grin. "Then again, perhaps it is because their rulers have not set an example." He added dryly, and Sador laughed.

"Good point, Gwador. Perhaps if you set the example with the lovely Amarië, we will be more inclined to follow after." He snickered, and Finrod lunged to swat the cheeky ellon. Manwë and Nàmo, however, sent each other smugly knowing smiles, which echoed through the ósanwë frequency as ringing laughter along with Tulkas Astoldo.

LOTRLOTRLOTR

Eruanna moved through the crowds on Esgal, with Ecthelion following next to them. She intended to make good her promise to her Atya, and try to find some kind of guild that interested her. She did have an interest in perhaps considering the music guild, but something within her surreptitiously declared otherwise.

Her mind slightly wandered as she traveled the maze of people and tables, paying attention to the different guilds that they passed, but seeing them in a different light. Her senses were attuned to more then just the elves and wares around her. They were attuned to everything, every detail and every sense.

Her nose subconsciously registered everything familiar and dismissed it. Her ears filtered out the common sounds and picked out the unfamiliar ones, analyzing them, storing them away, discarding them. Her eyes casually looked about, but they missed no detail. The fabric of clothing, the rustle of movement. It was almost instinctive. And she didn't quite know why.

But then, something snapped her out of the strange second nature and focused on one particular table displaying the trade of a certain guild. She tugged on Ecthelion's sleeve, and he turned to her with a questioning look.

"Up, Thel!" She pleaded, and he picked her up, allowing her to see the table more clearly.

It was the jewel smith's guild. The polished, lacquered wooden table was carefully displaying many different pieces of jewelry, from necklaces to bangles, earrings, coronets, clips, brooches for cloaks, and countless other items.

But Eruanna was drawn to more then just the glitter and finely polished, beautiful gems. In Aman, she knew, these things were common. The beaches were strewn with tiny gems. The mountains yielded unending sources of gold, silver, and had large deposits of mithril.

No. It was the craftsmanship that drew her in. She studied each piece, looking over it and using the knowledge she held from her time studying beadwork in the gardens of Lórien to judge each piece for herself. She saw an ellon looking over a brooch. He picked it up and turned it over, and heard him speaking with the other ellon selling it.

"Yes, I wished to buy a new one for this cloak. My other one is worn out." He was saying, and Eruanna squiggled until Ecthelion put her down. She ran to the ellon and tugged on his robe.

He looked down with surprise in his face to see the elfling, and then recognition dawned in his eyes as he began to bow. Eruanna waved away the formality with impatience and pointed to the brooch.

"May I see?" She asked softly, and he nodded, handing it to her in wordless surprise. She took the piece and turned it over in her hands carefully, hinging back the pin itself. Then she looked up at the ellon's cloak with a frown.

"This one is not a fit for any cloak." Her voice was gentle. "The pin is not set right." She said, shaking her head as she gave it back to the surprised jewel smith. "It will break fast." She said, looking at him. He took it with a frown and studied it, when suddenly surprise dawned on his features.

"You are right, my lady." He said. "The hinge is placed in an unstable position. It will slide away at first use and be irreparable." He gave the elfling a look of mingled surprise and gratefulness. "I thank you for pointing it out to me." He said, and she gave him a small smile and nod before turning to the young ellon.

"Try that one." She suggested, and then pointed to one on the table that she had been admiring for its framework. With a final smile, she turned to leave when the jewel smith called after her.

"Wait!" She turned to look at him. Esgal came up beside her, nuzzling her arm. She stroked his ears. The ellon hesitated, then spoke. "Perhaps... Perhaps you could one day come to the guild." He said, and she knew that she had been right in her guess that he was an apprentice. "I'm sure that they would welcome you." He stammered, as though afraid he had crossed a line.

"I thank you." She answered, a queer smile dancing across her lips. "May I know your name?" She queried, though she already knew from her instinctive ósanwë scan.

"Elboron, my lady." He answered with a bow, and she curtseyed back. He was young, but well-built and fair. His hair was a shimmering, deep blue, and his eyes were also a dark blue. Not highly unusual, but she could see where he had gotten his name. Star Prince indeed. She would remember him.

"Well met, Elboron. Perhaps we shall meet again." Was her simple reply before melting quietly into the rest of the crowd to find Ecthelion, who had wandered off in his boredom. Beads and trinkets were beyond his interests.

Esgal pattered along beside her, and she stopped in the shade of a tree for a moment. She turned to look at him and cupped his head in her small hands, stroking up the sides of his muzzle and stroking his bushy ears. He growled contentedly and stepped closer to her hands, nuzzling her hair and shoulder.

Somehow, she knew that he was bound to her, and she to him. She was not his mistress. He **chose** to follow her. He **chose** to protect her. He was a wolf of Oromë. He had allegiance to no one. He was his own, wild and free. It was merely his choosing to become her companion that kept him docile and capitulating to her requests. He was not Huan, a hound of Oromë. He was like the Eagles of Manwë, free, but choosing to serve the Vala from their own free will. And this made her respect and appreciate her wolf friend all the more.

"Thank you, Esgal." She whispered on impulse, and his icy eyes came up to survey her with their intense intelligence, understanding every word she said. If wolves could smile, she was sure that he just did. She smiled back.

But then, a flash of yellow caught the corner of her vision, and she turned herself to see someone familiar at the edge of the crowd, looking over them as though searching for someone. Her face lit up excitedly at seeing the two other dark haired figures standing beside them. And she ran.

A name spilled off of her lips like water, and the three turned to see who was addressing them. They caught sight of the elfling and smiled, and Eruanna felt as though she couldn't get there fast enough. She flew into the arms of the dark haired ellon and buried her face into his shoulder, breathing him in, remembering the familiar embrace of his arms.

"Erestor!" She cried, voice wavering. She choked, almost afraid to say more, for fear that her voice would shatter into a thousand pieces and come up in bloody splinters, staining the white of the robes she clutched.

"Eruanna, penneth." Came the whispered, tremulous reply. She clung to Erestor, reveling in the essence of him. His aura of quiet wisdom and fountains of knowledge. His hair, buttery and smooth strands of dust and soot and ash. His hands, soft against her skin and yet rough from the callouses that mottled them from his endless writing. Violets and a sky stained with wine in the lingering summer eve.

She pulled back to look at him through her tears of joy and saw that his own were streaming with relief. The velvety eyes blurred. She leaned forwards and kissed his cheek, long, tender, and loving.

"I missed you, Erestor." She said frankly, smiling. "I missed you and your words." She said. He buried his face into her hair, and spoke into her ear.

"Thank you. Thank you, for your letter." He said brokenly. "I understand. I understand now. I read your journal and the letters, and now I understand." He said, and she pulled back to nod.

"I knew you would, 'Restor." She said simply. "I knew that you would understand." She said with a smile. And he returned it, that same, brilliant smile that was hidden from the rest of the world.

"Thank you for your words about me." He said.

She laughed softly, shyly. "Smile." Was all she answered, and he understood with a chuckle. He pulled something out of his robe.

"I think I need a new one." He said, and handed her the worry string. It was in tatters, the color almost completely rubbed out from years and years of use. She smiled and took it, and threaded it in her hair.

"I'll give you another one, I promise, 'Restor." She answered, and his eyes were filled with joy to hear her speak. Then she reached up for the other two. The golden haired one bent to pick her up, and pressed a kiss to her brow.

"I missed you, my lord." She said quietly, leaning against his shoulder. He chuckled.

"As I did you, Fin'ilmë." He answered, and she smiled.

"As did I, Fin'ilmë." Elwing brushed her brow as she kissed the elfling's cheeks, dusted pink with pleasure.

And then suddenly Eruanna gasped, and sat up abruptly. "Oh! I mustn't be late!" She said, remembering. She scrambled down from Eärendil's grip and ran to Esgal. "Esgal, will you find Ecthelion?" She asked, and he nodded, loping away easily. Then she took Erestor's hand and began to lead them away.

"Come! I must not be late!" She gasped, and they followed her dutifully. She led them to the platform and tugged them before the royals before hastily curtseying and rushing away to prepare, leaving the others to introduce themselves.

Moments later, Ecthelion also rushed in and joined her in their preparations for their duet. Music sheets were gathered hurriedly, flutes were checked, tuned, and polished, and Eruanna bound her hair away from her face using the ragged, faded string already wound in her hair. It would have to do. She had nearly forgotten about the duet already- there was no time to lose.

"Did you find something?" She managed to ask in the flurry of readying.

"Yes yes, music guild." Ecthelion answered in kind, voice harried. "You?"

"I think so." Was all she answered before they finally deemed themselves as ready as they could be.

Eruanna's hair was tucked into a sort of fly-away ponytail behind her head, with wisps of hair falling down the sides of her face and, unbeknownst to her, giving her face an innocent, infantile charm. Her crushed blue gown, slightly rumpled by her rush, could not be persuaded to give up its wrinkles, so she had given up in a sort of resigned despair. But they only added to her cherub-like appearance, along with her flushed cheeks, nervously bright eyes, and silver slippers that poked out from the hem of her dress. Her necklace nestled, forgotten, comfortably between her collar bones, and she wrung her hands to rid them of nervous sweat and vainly tried to calm her trembling lips.

Ecthelion, though perhaps more composed then his little partner, was no less agitated, revealed by his hands that he tried to employ by futilely trying to smooth out the wrinkles in his own robes as he dried his sweating hands carefully against a cloth so that he wouldn't stain his robes with the dampness. His hair was still in braids, and his face was slightly pale, contrasting with his eyes which were also bright in nervousness.

Their flutes stood side-by-side along with their papers, and gleamed dully in the low, dim light of the antechamber. They were both wracked with nerves.

"What if I mess up? The Valar are out there... What if I can't remember my piece?" Eruanna was muttering to herself.

"Don't worry, my golden flower. It will be well, you'll see. Just remember to focus on the flute, not your surroundings. Concentrate on the tune. Immerse yourself in it." Ecthelion said with deceptive calmness, a little too calm to the experienced eye. Eruanna saw it.

The prospect of facing thousands of elves grated on her nerves. It went against her training with Ciaran, to be noticed as little as possible. The knowledge that the Valar were there unsettled her even more. She was a naturally, painfully shy child. She knew it. And she had a bad case of stage fright.

Then she heard Arafinwë began to make a speech and welcome them to the platform. All the other guilds had presented their wares and skills already while they prepared, and they were the last agenda in the program.

Her eyes closed, and suddenly, her mouth went dry and her hands stopped being clammy, just simply cold. Her lips felt frozen. She could almost envision them being blue. Esgal nudged her gently, and she picked up her flute and papers, feeling rather then seeing Ecthelion do the same. Then they turned to each other, gave nervous smiles, heard themselves being called to stage, and walked out.

It was time for their debut.

Her only question was, could she survive the rest of this day?


	11. Broken Bonds - What Is to Come

_Well... I have no excuse. To portray my shame, I will just say_

 _Read!_

 _Enjoy!_

 _Review!_

* * *

Chapter 11

*Manwë. This is not good.* Námo watched as Eruanna walked out onto the stage with Ecthelion and both bowed, to the applause of the crowd.

*What is amiss, Námo?* Manwë answered calmly, the rest of the Valar listening as well through ósanwë.

*Something is causing Eruanna to retrieve the muscle memory of her training faster than she should be.* The Judge of the Dead answered, and there was a moment of confusion from the rest of the Valar.

*But how is that possible? We made sure that it would take a year for her new hroä to adjust!* Irmo said, bewildered.

*I know. And by all rights she should not even be remembering Ciaran yet, but that memory had come a while ago.* Námo added darkly. *I thought that perhaps it wasn't to be too concerned about, but this is too much to be coincidence.* He said.

Manwë thought, sending Námo a feeling of acknowledgement. *I agree. Perhaps we should ask her for permission to run a test.* He said, and then paused. *But I do not understand, Námo. What do you mean, "too much to be coincidence"? This is only the second thing, is it not?* And they could all feel his 'frown.'

Námo sighed. *No. The other thing is that- Ciaran has not yet left. Not only does he seem neutral at the notion of leaving, every time I convince him to go there is no room left on the ships. Not one.* He answered.

There was a brief silence through the ósanwë frequency as the Valar thought on the implications of that statement. Then Irmo sighed. *I hope that she will agree to the test. It might provide answers.* He said, and the matter was dropped for the time being.

The whole conversation took place in the space of less then a minute, so when they focused on the dais, the two had just settled their music sheets on their stands and were lifting their flutes to their lips.

Nessa studied them interestedly. *I wonder what piece they devised for this event.* She noted, but before any of them could answer, the two began.

Ecthelion took the lead first, with Eruanna playing the accompaniment. His notes started out breathy, with the sound of faint breezes that slowly went into a crescendo. Eruanna's underlying tune rose slowly and steadily, the notes firm and strong, a tree that grew taller and stood firm. As Ecthelion's wind grew stronger into rushing winds and a storm that buffeted Eruanna's tree, their notes crashed against each other in a rising and falling battle.

Then their tunes melted into each other until they united in harmony, the tree bending compliantly to the wind and rain that rose and dipped, supporting the tree. Leaves were scattered and carried by the wind in whirling patterns of sound that Ecthelion coaxed from his flute. Eruanna's eyes were closed, and her fingers drew forth the sound of the sighing leaves of the tree. The wind died down, and the tree faded into the distance.

Eruanna's flute rose to the forefront, it's sharp notes cutting a sharp tune that scintillated quickly, rising higher and higher as her fingers flew over the keys. Ecthelion added a sense of mingling darkness in his undertone, and sent chills down the audience's spines: not of fear, but of awe for the mystery that the bright, vibrant notes created among the dark backdrop.

Eruanna's tune vibrated with a clear, joyous song, dancing in place, taking a step to the left and a step to the right, up and down the night sky of Ecthelion's flute. There was a sense of openness in the simplicity of the tune, of a wide space for imagination and freedom of expression. But the stars danced on in their set courses as they revolved around the scales and finally faded behind the light of the rising sun.

As the stars slowly gave up their reign of the dark skies to Arien, Ecthelion once more took the lead. His slurred tone once more took over, the sound of a rising, stirring earth waking from slumber, unaware of the previous evening gaiety in the sky. They slowly grew more alert, and Ecthelion began to coax the plants out of the ground. Eruanna slowly grew the creeping vines and blades of rising grass.

By now the audience had caught on to the purpose of the piece and were roaring in appreciation. They quieted quickly, but not before calling out the name of the Valar that had been honored. There were shouts of "Manwë, Varda, and Yavanna," while the Valar smiled in pleased surprise.

Ecthelion came down from the skies and became the bubbling creeks, while Eruanna meandered about the banks, skipping like a butterfly from flower to flower. Then she melted into Ecthelion's tune and they became the roaring rivers, flooded from Manwë's storms and rushing to the sea in a mad pursuit for space. They tripped over each other's tunes, fighting for the surface and sinking below each other's currents. Then they reached the sea, and Eruanna rushed into the ocean while Ecthelion became the soft, persistent surf of rising and falling notes.

Ulmo smiled as his name was murmured among the rest of the crowds.

Then they both dived. They delved into the bottom of the ocean, prodding with sharp, searching notes, questioning rises in the tune. They dug and searched, the objects in question finally being dredged up from the depths of the earth. Eruanna's crisp notes went up and came back down in choppy bursts, little circles of repeating sound on her flute. Ecthelion rose between her rises and went up before going back down, turning back on itself. It crackled in the turns of sound, until Eruanna stopped her incessant hammering and rose into a tree once more.

Ecthelion's notes scythed, breathily swishing and coming back to do it again. Eruanna's flute gave bursts of sound as Ecthelion continued his chops. The harvest of the year. The crowd roared for Aulë, who smiled and extended his forge-hardened arm in a small wave.

Then Eruanna's tune fell, crashing noisily in a string of disjointed tunes that crackled and jumped every which way, while Ecthelion blew a triumphant sound on his flute. Eruanna's tune morphed into a steady beating of the sound of hoofbeats, while Ecthelion continued his call and slowly grew in volume as the hunter neared his prey.

There was a sharp twang of sound from Ecthelion, who skidded to a halt and played low and soft, while Eruanna's tune broke its steady flight and crashed, coming to an abrupt halt. In the brief silence, the Elves whooped in exhilaration for Oromë, who chuckled in the wake of the musical hunt.

Then Ecthelion's flute began to wail, and Eruanna's flute played low and mournful. Both players were completely immersed in their playing, neither of them opening their eyes or looking at the crowd. Their lament grew slowly, while Eruanna let out plinks of sound like tears as Ecthelion hiccuped and sighed in sadness and regret.

Irmo chuckled and nudged Nienna, as she glared at him and then smiled warmly for the whistling elves.

Their lament grew fainter, and then became a little more cheerful, slowly bubbling into an irresistible tune that was quickly recognized by the elves as a popular dance. It grew in volume, urging the elves until they were clapping and tapping their feet. Soon some were whistling and cheering, and the two players threw their song into another loop as their audience cheered for Nessa, who nodded with a smile and tapped her own feet.

Ecthelion and Eruanna lined up their tunes, with Eruanna up high and Ecthelion down low, and abruptly began their charge. Eruanna came barreling down while Ecthelion charged up, and when they met in the middle of the three octaves, it was with a shrill shriek of sound. They staggered back through the octaves in the way they came, disoriented and jumbled from the breathtaking joust.

Tulkas grinned broadly as the Elves shouted his name in jubilation and excitement.

Then Ecthelion's tune began to lightly step through the octaves, while Eruanna groaned in screeching notes of pain and discomfort. Ecthelion tiptoed to Eruanna's tune and slowly began to whisper in a soothing, mysterious piece, and Eruanna's groans turned into mumbles and sighs before she drifted off into a low tune of contentment.

Estë smiled as her name was whispered through the crowds.

Then they fell into currents of dreams that swept them away on its golden and silver waves of heaviness. Dreamt suggestions of pleasantness and all manners of sweetness drifted through the air, and the crowds smiled as Irmo was honored through the paean of praise.

Then they slowly drifted up to the surface, and began to slowly whirl in a dance that grew faster and faster, until one could barely see Ecthelion and Eruanna's fingers moving over the flutes. They danced in rejuvenated energy and the freshness of youth from the rest, until they stopped, Ecthelion's flute breathlessly laughing as Eruanna's tune giggled. Vána smiled as Oromë chuckled as the elves tittered with light laughter from the infectious tune.

And then the tunes began to go over again, weaving a section from each of the previous stanzas together until they overlapped into a single piece of harmony. Eruanna weaved her pieces into Ecthelion's music as they worked together on the loom of music that they had created together. Vairë nodded in appreciation as the crowds smiled and whispered her name.

And then slowly, a new tune emerged from the mesh of others, and Eruanna faded away as Ecthelion was left to play alone. It was a soft tune and gentle, as Eruanna lowered her flute and slowly stood from her stool, walking to the front of the dais.

Then, eyes still closed, she began to sing.

 _If I die young, bury me in satin, lay me down on a bed of roses._

 _Sink me in the river at dawn; send me away with the words of a love song._

 _A sharp knife of a short life, well, I've had enough time._

 _Lord Námo, make me a rainbow, to shine down on my mother._

 _She'll know I'm safe with you when she stands under my colors._

 _And oh, life isn't always what you think it ought to be, no._

 _Isn't even grey but she buries her baby._

 _The sharp knife of a short life- w_ _ell I've had just enough time._

 _If I die young, bury me in satin, lay me down..._

Eruanna's voice trailed off, and Ecthelion let out one last note of farewell. Then he stood and stood next to Eruanna, and they turned to smile at each other in unveiled relief. There was a moment of silence as they turned and bowed to the Valar and other royals.

And then everyone stood, and began a thunderous applause that even the royal family took up, Finrod and Sador whistling in appreciation. Eruanna and Ecthelion grinned and bowed once more as Arafinwë stood and made his way to them on the platform. He allowed a moment more before raising his hand, and in a few moments the crowds quieted and he began to speak.

"Thank you, Eruanna, Ecthelion, for your astounding performance. I'm sure that we all enjoyed it very much." He gave a wry grin to the crowd, who again went into an uproar. He raised his hand once more, and went on when they stilled.

"I congratulate you both and thank you for putting such effort into your music. It is to be commended." Then he smiled at them benevolently as the two bowed and made their way back off of the dais with their papers to the cheering of the crowds.

When Eruanna finally made it to the antechamber, she carefully placed her flute down with shaking hands and then promptly collapsed on the floor in a puddle of relief. Her papers were scattered where she knew not, though through hazy eyes she could see Esgal carefully picking them up in his teeth and placing them in a neat pile to the side.

Ecthelion picked her up and buried his face into her hair, and they clung to each other, crying and laughing in mingled relief and joy. Then they sank into an exhausted heap on chairs, taking deep breaths as the adrenaline wore off and they regained their wits and bearings. Esgal whined eagerly and pranced about Eruanna, who smiled weakly and hugged the excited wolf.

"Thank you, Esgal." She rasped. Then she suddenly leaped up as though she had been pricked by one of his claws and ran to the mirror, pulling her hair down from the tattered ribbon and instead tying it around her wrist. Then she rumpled up her hair until it was in haphazard waves around her face, and looked over herself critically.

Ecthelion watched her in confusion as she reached out and touched the sun-in-eclipse on her dress, then shook herself and shook out the folds in the dress. The silver coronet was resettled on her head in a rakish look, and then she looked to Esgal, and they both disappeared out the small door that led out to the stands of wares outside.

Eruanna quickly wended her way through the tables until she reached the one that sold ribbons, thread, needles, and other such materials. The elleth at the stall smiled and bowed to the elfling, who nodded back with a distracted smile.

"May I please have a length of deep purple ribbon?" She asked hurriedly, and the elleth cut some for her. She gave the elleth a silver coin and slipped away again, winding her way back to the antechamber. When she got there, it was to see the royals looking for her.

Eärendil scooped her up. "Where have you been, child?" He asked softly, not upset.

She smiled apologetically. "My apologies, my lord. I needed to get something." She answered, and with a nod and fond kiss, he set her down.

She immediately went to Erestor who was standing by a bit awkwardly. He bent, and she handed him the worry string. "I'm sorry I was late, 'Restor. But I wanted to keep my promise." She said with a small smile, and he took it gently with his thin fingers.

"Thank you, Eruanna." He whispered. She let out a light laugh and leaned up to kiss him on her tiptoes before going back to Esgal and slumping against him in weariness.

Finrod scooped her up. "Are you well, Eruanna?" He asked in concern.

She made to nod, but abruptly stopped, feeling dizziness overcome her at the movement. She suddenly felt very, very ill. "I- I-" she couldn't speak, feeling the blood drain from her face.

Finrod immediately placed a hand on her head. "She feels warm." He said grimly. Eruanna looked at him, her eyes unfocused.

"Finda... Need- need lord Irmo..." She whispered, before going limp in a dead faint.

LOTRLOTRLOTR

The Valar stood about a small cot that Eruanna lay upon inside the royal pavilion. Irmo was sitting by the side of the bed as Esgal whined softly at the foot of the bed.

"Hush, Esgal. She will be alright." Oromë comforted, stroking the wolf. Esgal stopped whining, but still stared at the elfling, huddling by her feet with his ears flattened. The others were worriedly standing by the doorway, out of the way but still able to see Eruanna's form on the bed.

Irmo shook his head with a frown. "She has gone into a coma. For some reason, her feä has retreated deep within herself." Then he turned to Arafinwë and Ecthelion. "Has she seemed at all thoughtful or reclusive as of late?" He queried. All of them shook their heads.

"Let me see." Námo suddenly said, and took Irmo's place. As soon as he touched her head, however, Eruanna shied away from his hand, crying out in distress. Námo frowned and pulled his hands away. "Now, child, is that any way to treat your Atto?" He asked sternly, and reached out again. But Eruanna thrashed, attempting to get away from him, and he was forced to retreat.

Manwë sighed. "Be ready, Oromë, just in case." He said grimly, and the Hunter nodded, prepared to chase Eruanna's errant feä if it decided to sever from her hroä.

"Arafinwë, I need your permission and Eärendil's to run a test on her. We cannot wake her up to ask her." Manwë spoke to the two, who nodded gravely.

"If you think it best, lord Manwë." Arafinwë answered.

"Of course." Eärendil added calmly. Ecthelion fidgeted, and Eärendil placed a comforting arm about the distraught ellon. "Do not fear, Ecthelion. The Valar know what to do." He murmured, and Irmo nodded approvingly before turning to Eruanna.

He, Estë, Námo, Oromë, Ulmo, and Manwë gathered about the small form, and Estë immediately drew up the chart of the elflings vital signs. "Here." She said, and pointed to a shape of a twisted ladder with multi-colored rungs on them. "Ulmo, check her DNA for any abnormalities. Oromë, keep watch and check her blood. Námo, Irmo, check her feä with me." She ordered, and they immediately responded.

The elves watched in increasing bewilderment and amazement at the different things that were being done. Ulmo was doing something with the strange ladder-like figure, while Oromë was studying a chart suspended in the air that had many different figures on it. A meter seemed to slowly go up and down, while a line fluctuated and let out a steady beeping noise. A flow of red through a narrowed tube indicated blood.

But their attention was drawn to Irmo and Námo and Estë. Finrod sidled slightly closer to see, and Irmo stepped aside with a smile for the ellon. The suspended image was that of an orb that fluctuated with a blue-green color, ringed in gold and silver. Ecthelion let out a noise of surprise and moved next to Finrod.

"That's what she looked like in Mandos!" Ecthelion exclaimed in surprise, and Námo nodded,

"Indeed. This is her feä, which is what you saw in Mandos." He answered calmly, and Estë moved the image to another part of the orb, zooming in on it.

"And this is the area where bonds to others are formed." Estë added, and they could see threads that trailed off to where they could not see. Estë sorted out the different threads.

She pointed out a very thick, golden thread mixed with blue. "This is Glorfindel." She said, and then pointed to another that was a deep, grey-blue mixed with silver that was also thick. "This one is Ecthelion." And she smiled at the ellon. "This one is Finrod." She said, pointing to one that was rather delicate, a silver-blue color mixed with pale gold. "And this one is Erestor." She noted, pointing to one that was a dusty-grey mixed with deep purple.

Then they saw one that was tattered and frayed, snapped off close to its origins but still distinguishable. It was a royal, crushed blue color, also shot with liquid green. "This was once her bond with the mortal Aragorn." Estë noted.

"How did it break?" Finrod asked curiously.

"It was greatly weakened when she left Arda and entered Aman, but it ultimately broke when she passed into my halls." Was Námo's answer. Finrod nodded in understanding.

"But what is the purpose of looking at her bonds?" Arafinwë spoke up with due respect.

"Because there are things concerning our little elfling that you do not yet understand. This may be the reason that she collapsed." Irmo replied firmly yet gently.

"Here." Estë broke in, and they looked to where she was pointing. They saw a very thin string, small but still obviously rather strong. It was the color of honey held to the sunlight, mingled with an intense blue and shot with grey.

Estë gasped. "How is this possible? This bond should have been like the one with Aragorn a long time ago!" She exclaimed. Esgal's head popped up and his ears pricked at the sound of her voice, and he growled lowly. Oromë placed a hand on his head.

"Try to break it." Manwë commanded calmly, and Irmo looked askance at the Vala.

"But Manwë, if we break it, that could cause repercussions that-"

"I know, Irmo. But try to break it anyway." Manwë answered.

"What!? You cannot just break a bond like that!" Finrod exclaimed, and Varda placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Watch, Finrod. Trust us. We care for her just as much as you do, perhaps more. Manwë knows something, and he is trying to make them see it. Trust us." She murmured gently. Finrod nodded jerkily and turned to watch. Ecthelion swallowed.

Námo stepped forwards and held his hand towards the image, another hand extended to Eruanna's head. The strand on the suspended screen began to bend as though placed under a knife, and began to fray slightly. Eruanna's still-comatose form came to life, thrashing.

"Her vital signs are peaking." Oromë informed them grimly. Esgal was snarling at Námo.

"Status." Irmo barked, placing a hand on Eruanna's head.

"Heart rate acceleration to hyper speed; blood pressure rapidly rising, currently at one hundred ten; mental distress acute; adrenal gland kicked in; and all signs pointing to possible flat line." He rattled off, eyes darting across the screen.

"There are abnormalities in her DNA." Ulmo spoke up breathlessly, and several of the elves started, having forgotten that he was there.

"Can it wait?" Irmo asked, and Ulmo shook his head.

"You should know this, I think, before you try to sever the bond." He answered, and went on. Námo was still attempting to cut the bond. "Her DNA shows the normal traits, along with the few differences that are shown in the Reborn compared to the Onceborn. But what _is_ abnormal, even for a Reborn, are these." The image he pulled up was of the same twisted ladder with colored rungs, but this time there was a different sequence of colors in one section of the ladder.

Námo suddenly let out an inarticulate noise, and everyone's head whipped to him, to see that the image of the bond was glowing. There was a blue fire on the screen that was mending the frayed strands with astonishing speed. Námo released his hands, and the bond stopped fraying and the pale blue fire disappeared, the bond still whole.

There was a momentary silence among the Valar. The elves hardly dared to breathe for fear of breaking the silence. Esgal quit snarling, though he still sat alert, hackles raised. Eruanna stilled.

"Highly unusual." Oromë said calmly. "Her vital signs are once more normal."

The silence broke. "That was not coincidence. That bond is meant to stay." Irmo said gravely.

"Manwë?" Námo turned to the Vala, who gave them a thin smile. "Apparently Atar agrees, Irmo." Was his only answer. Námo sighed.

"But it's never been done before, Manwë." He said in irritation.

"Now, Námo, don't make excuses. You know it has, twice before, in fact." Manwë chided gently. Námo gave him a withering look that made the elves go pale.

"They came over the sea, not back from Mandos." He gritted out, and turned back to Eruanna. Manwë merely shook his head.

"What does all this mean?" Ecthelion blurted, unable to hold himself in check any longer.

"Come here, child." Estë said gently, and Ecthelion came forwards hesitantly. Estë led him before her chart.

"See this bond?" She asked, and he nodded. "Námo was trying to sever it because it should not even exist, by all rights." She explained. "It should have been cut, like the other one you saw. But when Námo tried to cut it, you saw the blue fire that stopped him." She went on, and Ecthelion nodded wordlessly again.

"That was the sign of Eru Ilúvatár Himself. It is not His will that this bond be broken. And nothing can happen that is outside His will." She said gently, and Ecthelion swallowed and nodded.

"But... What is that?" He whispered, pointing to Ulmo's chart.

"Ah... That will have to wait for another day." Estë answered with a fond smile.

Irmo was studying the mysterious chart. "You're right, Ulmo." He murmured. "Those are highly unusual. Can you pull up the tests we did of Eärendil?"

Another set of ladders appeared. Irmo pointed out two sections of the DNA. "See? These are the same. And this section is the mental blueprints, not physical." He said, and then pointed to yet another sequence of colors. "These are genetic memories. There's something off about it." He went on thoughtfully.

"Because they've been altered." Ulmo answered the unspoken question. "They've been slightly changed."

"There's no more time to talk about it, her vital signs are showing that she's waking." Oromë said impatiently.

The charts disappeared. "I've saved them." Irmo reassured, and they waited for Eruanna to wake, leaving the rest wondering at the import of the previous events.

LOTRLOTRLOTR

Eruanna woke up with a splitting headache that felt like one of Ciaran's razor-edged knives dragging through her brain. She squeezed her eyes shut and let out a broken moan of pain. Something snuffled at her feet and whimpered, and when she reached out, her hand met fur.

"Esgal." She whispered. She could feel her companion's worry in her mind, and wanted to soothe it. "I-" she tried to open her eyes, and a fuzzy light slowly came into focus. For a moment she couldn't remember where she was. Then it all suddenly came back in a rush. The performance, the string, her collapse-

She tried to sit up, panicked, then fell back with a grimace as pain ricocheted through her skull. "Esgal- lord Irmo-" she tried, and a cool hand was on her forehead. The pain ebbed until there was only a dull ache left, and she sighed in relief.

She opened her eyes and saw lord Irmo standing over her with a slight smile. "Are you feeling well, child?" He asked.

She blinked stupidly for a moment, then opened her mouth to answer- and snapped it shut with a frown. Was she? There had been the distinct feeling of something _wrong_ with her when she had collapsed, but... "I- I think so." She whispered, looking up with confusion. Námo appeared and drew a hand through her hair.

"Good." He said gently, and she immediately relaxed to see him. Then she suddenly realized that she felt a pinching in her lower stomach. With a frown, her hand went to cradle it, and she rubbed it unconsciously. Then she started. A feeling of utter _wrongness_ overcame her for a moment, and she nearly panicked. But then it faded, and she shook off the dregs of whatever had overcome her and looked to Esgal.

She tilted her head, then smiled and hugged the wolf. Finrod scooped her up, and she held on to his neck in surprise as he hugged her. "Are you well, Eruanna?" He asked softly. She blinked, then nodded.

"I'm sorry to make you worried." She whispered sheepishly.

"No, child. We are here to take care of you." Arafinwë spoke, and she nodded, being passed around from one to another gently. But inwardly, she cried in sorrow for her brother, though she knew not where he was or when he would return.

None but Esgal noticed the look that passed between the Valar.


	12. Visiting Vanyamar

Chapter 12

"Eruanna, here's a letter for you." Finrod dropped an envelope on her lap, marked with a red seal that indicated an urgent missive. Ecthelion looked up interestedly from where he sat next to Sador.

The Cáno and his wife, Alassiel, had agreed to stay for a few more days before returning to Tol Eressëa, and were therefore staying in the palace. Arafinwë was currently in a meeting with the guild leaders, while Eärwen was away with Galadriel and Alassiel looking over something in the household that interested their female hearts. Therefore, it was just Finrod, Ecthelion, Sador, and Eruanna in one room together, along with Esgal. Eruanna had noted that it only needed Glorfindel to complete the group, to which they had agreed heartily.

"Who's it from?" Ecthelion queried interestedly, and Eruanna shrugged, carefully opening it. The first thing she noticed was the script. It startled her, and she gaped at the paper for a moment. She knew that handwriting very well.

"Eruanna?" Finrod asked worriedly, seeing her face.

"I-it's from I-Ingil." She stammered, and hastily began to read the letter, worry saturating her eyes. What if he was unhappy and making good on her promise?

 _My dear Eruanna,_

 _It is Ingalaurë, your good friend. First of all, worry not that I write to you, for I am happy where I am. That is, I would be happy but for one thing. There are a few who are my friends that I have spent time with, and I have once more become close with my twin brother Ingwion. My father Ingwë is good to me, as is my mother Elindis. I have remembered my love for them._

 _However, I am unhappy in one aspect- I do not have you here with me, or Thel. I miss you both terribly, and long to be with you. However, I know that Ata will not permit me to travel at this time, and I did not write you sooner because I knew that you would be busy yourselves. But now with the harvest feast over, I will write you now._

 _I invite you to come here to Vanyamar, the city of the Vanyar at the foot of Taniquetil for a visit, both you and Thel, for I do so long to see you again. It would be nice to see you within the month._

 _I shall patiently await your answer. Give my greetings to Thel._

 _Prince Ingalaurë, son of Ingwë Ingaran_

Eruanna stared at the letter for a moment with a blank look on her face, utterly bewildered by this turn of events. Not that she was necessarily displeased, only that she was confused and not a little surprised.

"Well?" Ecthelion asked, impatient for the answer. Eruanna started visibly.

"I-it's- Ingil says hello and he wants us to come visit him within the month." She blurted, then wordlessly shoved him the letter. He read it and looked up, excitement coating his features.

"Well? What are you going to reply?" He asked.

"I- I don't know, I should ask Atya... I would like to go, though, and see him..." But her eyes glazed over and she was obviously thinking of someone else that was most certainly not Ingil, and a wistful smile flitted at the corners of her lips.

"And lord Manwë?" Finrod guessed shrewdly. Eruanna started and then blushed, nodding sheepishly.

"Well I don't see why Atya should disagree, as long as you take an escort." Finrod shrugged, and Eruanna nodded wordlessly. Thel opened his mouth to speak when he was suddenly interrupted as Arafinwë walked in the door, looking slightly disgruntled. Eruanna brushed his aura once and immediately stood, walking over to the king of the Noldor and sitting on his lap as he sat down.

"S'okay, Atya?" She asked, looking up at him with a slight pout on his behalf. Sador smiled faintly at the resemblance to Glorfindel's own pout before going back to filling out papers for Ecthelion's admittance into the Warrior's Guild. He had already finished both Eruanna and Ecthelion's papers for admittance into the Reborn Guild.

Arafinwë looked down at her and smiled faintly. "It is well, child." He answered with vague amusement, brushing a lock of the two-toned hair away from the pale skin. "Merely the rigors of politics." He brushed it aside, and then raised an eyebrow in Ecthelion's direction.

"Stop squirming, yonya, and tell me what excites you." He said dryly, but with a fond smile.

"Ingil wants us to visit him Atya. May we?" Ecthelion blurted, not at all ashamed of himself. He had always been the reserved one in public, whereas in private probably only rivaled by Glorfindel. And maybe Finrod and Eruanna. But Just maybe.

Arafinwë arched a blond eyebrow. "Oh? And have you done what I asked before the festival?" He asked with much the same manner as a parent would ask their child about the completion of their duties. Ecthelion nodded eagerly.

"Yes Atya! I want to join the music guild." He said, so enthusiastically that it was impossible to miss his genuine interest. Arafinwë allowed a smile to curl his lips.

"Very good, Ecthelion. I am sure that they will welcome you, especially seeing your talent." He said approvingly, and Thel beamed with pleasure.

"And you, little flower?" Arafinwë tapped Eruanna's nose. "Will you also join the music guild?" He asked expectantly.

"No." Was the quiet, hesitant answer. Everyone looked up, pinning her with incredulous stares.

"Then... Where will you go?" Finrod asked in bewilderment. But Thel was nodding at her.

"I- I would like to join the jewelsmith's guild." She answered softly, looking down at her hands. There was a moment of surprised silence before Arafinwë spoke up again.

"You have done something of the sort before, Eruanna?" He asked kindly, and Eruanna felt a flash of annoyance at the indulgent tone. She had to remember that they were prone to forget that she was not entirely a child, after all. She must be patient with them.

"The necklace lady Vána was wearing at the festival..." She looked at them questioningly, and saw that they nodded in thoughtful remembrance.

"The one with the golden vines and jewels, yes?" Sador asked. Eruanna nodded.

"I made that in Lórien." She said quietly, sliding down from Arafinwë's lap and climbing into Ecthelion's instead. He stroked her hair.

"I remember when you used to braid my hair and put all the jewels in them in Gondolin." He nodded at her, and she smiled up at him brightly. Finrod stared at her agape for a moment, and then laughed.

"Well Ata, looks like you're going to need to agree!" He chortled, and Arafinwë smiled in admitted defeat.

"Very well, Eruanna. If that is what you truly wish." He said amusedly, and she smiled at him in gratitude. "I see no reason that you should not go, then." He added, and Ecthelion grinned, tossing Eruanna up as she squealed.

"Let's go see Ingil, Eruanna!" He said cheerfully, and she clapped her hands in happy response.

LOTRLOTRLOTR

Altogether, Eruanna mused, it had been a good trip so far. Nothing had gone too wrong, and they were half-way to Vanyamar already. Maybe just three more days, and they'd make it to the city of the Vanyar. She was exited about seeing Ingil again, and vaguely wondered if she would see lord Manwë or any of the other Maiar she knew.

"Do you think we'll be welcomed?" Ecthelion suddenly said dubiously from next to her. Eruanna blinked at him in confusion. "I mean, we aren't exactly Vanyar, even if you are half. I wonder if there are still those who harbor ill-will towards us Noldor for the kinslayings." He mused.

One of the guards in the escort that Arafinwë had arranged for them spoke up. "Perhaps there still are, but the king shows favor towards them. You will be quite safe in Vanyamar, my lord." He said respectfully, and Ecthelion smiled in thanks.

"That is a comfort to know." He said, and Eruanna nodded, falling back into thought. She wondered when her brother would finally come back. She knew that he would, because of her, and she could say with confidence that she was sure the twins would eventually think of her and their parents and wish to return. But she still wanted them back soon. She missed them. It had been a long while already. Besides, she might even get to see their ship come in once Arafinwë allowed her to go to Tol Eressëa.

In her musings, she almost missed the sight of the two towers that guarded Vanyamar had Ecthelion not nudged her. "Look Findilmë! I wonder which Maiar guard them." He said excitedly, and she looked up at the two large stone towers, upon which two Maiar stood stoically, not moving and faces expressionless. They were almost forbidding, and Eruanna suppressed a shiver at the thought, though she also felt a strange connection to them.

They passed through the gates, and over the next hill they paused for a moment to admire Vanyamar. Eruanna stared from her perch in front of Ecthelion in the saddle, and she could feel him suddenly clutch her to him out of nervousness. "It's so big." He whispered. "It makes me feel..." He trailed off, at a loss for words.

"Small." Eruanna replied uncomfortably, and he nodded wordlessly. They continued the descent towards the white-walled city, and Eruanna turned to one of the soldiers.

"Please, what is that tower over there?" She asked softly, pointing. The guard nodded in recognition. "That is the tower of the royal bell, containing a single bell whose peal can be heard all throughout the city and only used in times of grave danger or to raise alarm." The guard explained, and she nodded in understanding. The palace was all too obvious, with its tall spires and towers and windows upon windows scattered everywhere across the regal stone face.

The gates, as they approached, were massive and made of steel, shining brightly with their coat of silver. There were two towers guarding it, and the royal symbol of Ingwë was engraved on it inlaid with jewels- an eagle holding an olive branch and a parchment in its talons. They finally halted at the gates, and Eruanna saw a guard peer down from the tower.

"Who desires entrance to Vanyamar, city of the Vanyar?" Came the challenging cry. One of the guards looked up and called back.

"Lord Ecthelion and lady Eruanna, wards of King Arafinwë Noldoran, come by invitation from his highness Prince Ingalaurë son of Ingwë Ingaran." He replied, and Eruanna stifled a giggle at the absurdity of the long titles. Ecthelion felt her squirms and poked her, and in response she handed him the letter. He held it up to show the royal seal, and the gates were opened without a sound to allow them in.

For a moment Eruanna's eyes watered with the intensity of color as they clip-clopped through the streets. The clothes, the houses, the gardens- the _hair_. The golden hair was everywhere, almost blinding in its intensity. And yet strangely, as she looked harder, she never was able to find one head that held hair as golden as her brother's. Although, perhaps that was merely her bias speaking... Ecthelion still clutched her like a stuffed toy, and she looked down to reassure herself with the sight of Esgal trotting steadily beside the complacent horse. He pricked his ears and lolled his tongue at her, and she smiled back before paying attention to the sights from the safety of Ecthelion's cloak.

Vanyar took no notice of the party, brushing them off as perhaps visitors from some other clan of elves as was common to see on a daily basis. Then they finally reached the palace, being admitted by the guards on the authority of their seal. One guard escorted them to the entrance, where their horses were led away and they followed him through the halls of the palace to the throne room.

Eruanna rode on top of Esgal, whose presence was no more alarming to the Vanyar than an insect, as many of the Elves had such companions, perhaps even stranger. One of the guards in their escort had told them a story about one who had a fish for a pet that he kept in a bowl by his bedside. Eruanna had giggled at the thought while Esgal snorted in scorn and derision and Ecthelion hooted.

She admired the architecture of the halls, the large arches and high domed ceilings, the painted glass windows and the cool white marble all around them. Rich tapestries decorated the walls and produced cooling shade from the sun coming through the delicately tinted windows, and jewels studded the chandeliers that hung from the ceiling and reflected spots of colored light onto the floors.

But she also had noticed something else. The deep shadows in the corners of the halls, the tempting space between the statues and busts that offered concealment, the myriad of places where something or someone could be secreted away without anyone being the wiser. The way the shadows danced and flickered in patterns around the halls, and the way that the tapestries fluttered slightly in the occasional draft of wind that came in through some open doorway. Esgal shifted and growled under his breath beneath her, and she snapped out of the strange state to see that his muscles were tense and his teeth bared.

"It's alright, Esgal. I'm sorry." She whispered quietly, and she felt his muscles immediately relax and noticed that his eyes lightened from dark blue to their normal shards of ice. She blinked herself and wondered what had happened, but was left no time to consider it before they had arrived at the throne room. The guard led them in and bowed before the throne, ignoring the stares of the lords and ladies about. Eruanna shrank into Ecthelion's cloak, and he clutched her tightly until she wondered if she could breathe properly. Esgal sat patiently but warily at her side.

"My lord Ingwë, this is lord Ecthelion and Lady Eruanna, wards of Arafinwë Noldoran. They have come on invitation by the prince Ingalaurë." He said, and then stepped to the side as silence settled and all attention focused on the two- or three, including Esgal- newcomers. Ecthelion stiffened in minor panic, and Eruanna could feel the discomfort and unease radiating off of him as he was left at a loss of what to say. For an agonizing moment, there was an awkward pause as Ecthelion scrambled for words.

Eruanna tugged herself out of his grasp and stepped out from his cloak, causing all eyes to rivet onto her in shock and incredulity as she stepped forwards hesitantly towards the throne and dropping a perfect, infantile curtesy. The tension noticeably lessened, and there were faint smiles to be seen at the childish nervousness portrayed in her small frame.

"King Ingwë, I greet thee and thy court with due honor." Her voice was tremulous but loud enough for the court to hear. She may have been a child, but she was of high lineage and nobility and was trained in the ways of courtly manners. For a moment her words failed her as she met the liquid blue eyes of of the golden-haired King, and he gave her a quick wink and encouraging smile before once more listening to her speech with an impassive face. She gathered her courage and went on.

"I apologize for our lack of manners, for we have been but newly reborn and unaccustomed to court. Not two weeks ago I received a letter from Prince Ingalaurë, inviting Ecthelion and I to your city. So, gathering permission from King Arafinwë, we have come to honor his request and to give thee our obeisance as High King of the Eldar. Ecthelion is former lord of the House of the Fountain of Ondolindë under the rule of King Túrucano, and I am Laurëfindilmë of the House of the Golden Flower." She finished, and suddenly saw the bright-eyed Ingalaurë sitting on the main dais.

The king stood and smiled at them warmly, raising his hand to them. "And I welcome thee and accept thine obeisance, Ecthelion and Laurëfindilmë of Ondolindë. Welcome to life." He said, and the court clapped politely as Ecthelion and Eruanna bowed awkwardly.

Ingalaurë, unable to help himself, leapt out of his chair and walked down the dais as slowly as he could make himself go for his excitement, hugging first Ecthelion warmly and then picking Eruanna up and grinning at her shy smile.

"I missed you both, Ecthelion, Eruanna. Come!" He said, and Thel followed as he made his way back up the dais. Esgal followed along, keeping a careful eye on his mistress. The court went about its own business, and Ingalaurë introduced his parents. "Eruanna, Thel, this is my father Ingwë, my mother Elindis, and my twin Ingwion. Ammë, Atto, this are my friends from Mandos." He said with a smile, not noticing the flash of pain that went through his father's eyes at the mention of his death, nor the look of jealousy on his brother's face at the affection he showed towards the strangers.

"Welcome." Ingwë said with a smile, and Elindis reached out for Eruanna. "Oh! How young, you poor dear!" She said in a motherly fashion as Eruanna allowed herself to be handed to the cooing elleth. "How terrible it must have been for you." She fussed, sitting down with Eruanna in her lap. Eruanna's face suddenly went white, and the blood left her very lips as she recalled the sack of her city.

"Ammë, no!" Ingalaurë said too late, as Eruanna shook her head viciously to rid herself of lasting images and the screams that would not leave her alone. Elindis paused in regret, smoothing her hair.

"My apologies, dear. I did not know you would remember." She said softly, and Eruanna looked up at her with a face full of pain.

"I want Glorfy." She whispered, and looked down at the hem of her shirt.

"Glorfy? Doesn't that mean Glorfindel?" Ingwion spoke up for the first time in surprise, his weak blue eyes and pale golden hair reflecting his father's. Ingalaurë picked her back up, hugging her to himself comfortingly as he stroked her hair, much like an elleth would her doll. Ingwë and Elindis smiled faintly at the thought.

"Yes. Glorfindel was her brother." He answered, unaware that his family was ignorant of the fact. Ingwë paused.

"What? That cannot be, Glorfindel never mentioned a sister. If he had one he would have talked about her all the time." The King exclaimed in no little surprise, and Eruanna looked up at him, recovered from her moment of grief.

"He didn't know I existed, because it was supposed to be a surprise for him when he came back from his duties outside the city. But when he came back, it was midsummer's day..." She paused, and recognition bled into their eyes. "I... I watched Thel die and-" she swallowed thickly through the threatening tears. "And I also saw the tower fall and my brother Glorfindel fight the balrog and die..." A sudden look of empathy came upon Ingwion's face, and she noticed it. "I was almost to safety with lord Tuor and Idril when I was captured by orcs and taken as sport... I did not grow during my time of torture there for seven thousand years..." She said weakly, amidst the gasps at the story.

"And so she was finally rescued and taken to Imladris, where she met her brother until she came here where she was given a choice to go to Mandos for healing." Ecthelion finished grimly, a fell light in his eyes that would have made orcs quail in the face of it.

"I'm still waiting for him, along with many others..." Eruanna smiled faintly, and Ingwë gently took her.

"I see now why you are wards of Arafinwë- or should I say Findaráto?" Ingwë's eyes twinkled in merriment as Eruanna giggled and Ecthelion grinned. "Yes, I see." He went on. "Well, you are most welcome here, for your sake as much as our son's." He said, and Eruanna smiled softly.

These were new faces, and perhaps new friends to be made in time. And still, a golden-haired, half-Vanya warrior refused to leave her mind.

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 _Well, even though I will admit that Vanyamar is a wonderful city, and Ingalaurë's family is very good to me and Thel, I don't really want to live here. It's much too crowded, and I- I feel trapped. I cannot help myself. I just feel cooped up... Like a bird in a cage..._

 _Somehow, I think that maybe Ingwion didn't like me at first. It was his aura. It was kind of prickly and it hurt me. But then when I said that I watched Glorfy fall, he seemed to change. His aura stopped being green and instead went to a nice pale gold color, just like his hair. I'd like to get to know him better, if he doesn't hate me. I hope not. I don't want to be a trouble or bother..._

 _But still, somehow I feel that I don't and will never fit into life in the city. I have been through too much to forget. I feel like a rolling stone... Never at peace... Searching for my place... I can only pray to the Valar that I don't tumble off of a cliff somewhere along the way..._

Eruanna walked along the halls quietly with Esgal, just exploring the palace and discovering new and interesting sights. The kitchen had been warm and toasty with wonderful smells, but despite the cookie she was given it had gotten too hot and she had evacuated to find someplace more suited to sit and think.

She had wandered far enough to get lost among the maze of halls when a sudden gleam caught the corner of her vision. She paused and turned her head, just in time to see a flash of pale golden hair before it disappeared. Eruanna blinked a few times, but no, the plain stone wall was still there. But she could have sworn that she had seen someone beyond it. Esgal sat on his haunches and waited patiently for her to make a choice.

After hesitating for no more than a mere second, she made her way towards the wall and looked at it, eyebrows furrowed in thought. Unbeknownst to her, Fionwë and Olórin watched her unclad from a slight distance, both of them smiling faintly.

*Do you think it'll work?* Fionwë queried Olórin.

*Well I wasn't known for my persuasive abilities for nothing. I've inspired her, now it's her choice if she will decide to heed my whisper.* Was Olórin's placid reply.

Eruanna pouted for a moment in confusion, and then reached out. She knew that she had seen something- her fingers went through the wall. She retracted her hand, but it was enough for her. It was an illusion. She grinned down at Esgal, and not even thinking about possible consequences, stepped confidently through the illusion and into the bright sunlight of a private garden. Esgal slipped through soon after, and Eruanna padded with bare feet through the beds of flowers, making it to a fountain in the center.

She clambered onto the edge of the fountain, peering down into the depths of it and seeing the tiles shimmering at the bottom. Just then, Esgal snarled. Turning back to look at him, she let out a sudden, startled gasp as something seemed to shove her into the fountain. She tumbled in and flailed back to the surface with a gasp for air. She could feel cold, icy fingers pushing her back under, and raised her hands as she reached for the hands.

But just as she was running out of air, she felt warm hands grasp hers and yank her out. She let out a strangled splutter and shook her head, catching her breath as she managed to look up at a concerned Ingwion.

"Are you alright little one?" He asked, helping her to wring out her clothes and holding her on his lap safely away from the edge of the fountain. "You should be careful." He admonished softly.

She shook her head. "I can swim, but somebody or something pushed me in." She said in confusion. "There were icy fingers holding me down..." She trailed off, and gave him an apologetic look. "I'm sorry." She said miserably, looking down in shame.

Her chin was tipped up to look at a serious Ingwion. "There is no need to be ashamed. All of us make mistakes. Now, are you sure about that?" He asked with a frown.

"Yes. I have swum many times before, and I felt the fingers." Eruanna answered dutifully, wringing out her hair away from his clothes. "Maybe it was nothing." She sighed.

"The Valar should know." Ingwion answered with a frown, and she looked up at him blankly before shrugging and squeezing the hem of her shirt. "Are you not frightened?" Ingwion sounded nonplused, and she looked up to see that his face was bewildered and concerned.

"It's not the first time I've been threatened or in danger, and I don't think it will be the last." She answered wearily. "I've been too close to death too many times to be afraid." She sighed, and then looked at him hesitantly. "Do you hate me?" Eruanna asked bluntly.

Ingwion gaped, for a moment forgetting his concern in light of the baffling question. "Of course not! What would ever make you think that I hated you, Findilmë?" He queried with concern.

She looked up at him with a sad look. "Yesterday when you first met me, your aura was green and prickly, and it hurt me. I don't want you to hate me. I don't want to be a trouble." She mumbled. Ingwion sighed, then made her look at him.

"No, little one, I do not hate you. I do not know you well enough to hate you or love you. The reason I was... Prickly, was because it was a bit difficult for me to see my twin closer to you than he was to me. I know that will change in time, but..." He sighed, and Eruanna nodded.

"I see. Then, I'm glad that you don't hate me." She said simply, and smiled at him. He smiled back faintly, and placed a hand on her head.

"Indeed. Now, let's go dry you off, shall we?" He asked, and standing, picked her up and settled her on his hip as he walked towards her chambers.

Only Esgal remained behind, sniffing at the air and hackles still raised. Fionwë materialized and nodded at the wolf, who growled.

"Yes, my friend, they have made it this far." He answered gravely. "You must try to protect her as best you can before she is able to defend herself."

Esgal growled lowly in answer, and Fionwë nodded and bowed. "Of course. I will tell the Valar of your concern." He answered, and faded away as Esgal trotted warily after his mistress.

LOTRLOTRLOTR

"He is in Lórien." Námo said with an air of resignation as the Valar gathered in the Mahanaxár.

"You don't sound happy." Irmo said dryly to his older brother, who gave him a wintery smile.

"You won't be either once he is released." Was Námo's only reply before Irmo sighed in agreement.

"Unfortunately, I'm afraid you'll be right, despite that we are making it as easy for him as possible." Irmo replied with a faint frown.

"I'm sure my Námiel will be good for him to settle down. Now, when exactly are we going to convince those stubborn sons of Elrond to come here?" Tulkas said impatiently, while Manwë rolled his eyes privately to himself.

"They will come in due time. Besides, don't say _your_ Námiel, it sounds wrong." Námo complained childishly, and Tulkas snickered at the offended judge of the dead as the rest of the Valar smiled at the banter.

"Whatever. And HIM?" Tulkas pressed.

"Still at sea, according to Ulmo." Was Manwë's calm answer.

"Well good. The longer the better it will be for us. It is good that she is at Vanyamar now. The end of this year should prove to be beneficial for her mental state." Estë said.

"Indeed. Now, let's worry about the problem at hand. Oromë?" Manwë said, and Oromë began explaining the disturbances in his forests to the south.


	13. Pleading Pens

_I'll update the next chapter sooner guys, I promise! This week has been a lot busier than I expected... Thank you for the follows and favorites! As always, it is appreciated more than you know. By the way, I revamped the first six chapters of the first book, but you don't have to read it. It doesn't change any of the plot arcs and it won't have any effect on future events. Please,_

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Chapter 13

 _I'm not quite sure what happened at the garden, but I am sure that it wasn't any Maiar or elf. I remembered, then, what it was like to feel the aura of twisted, evil beings. This being was so cold and frigid, and filled with hatred. It was sentient, too, I could tell._

 _I wonder what that means for me, and for the rest of Aman._

 _Glorfindel has really been on my mind recently, and I miss him so. Somehow, I suddenly feel afraid for them, like I can sense that they are in danger. I'm not sure why, but I do, and hope that they come home soon. I know they will. I've been praying for them._

Ecthelion suddenly came in the room that they shared, and Eruanna closed the book, looking up at him. He came forwards, nodding to her, and then suddenly paused with a strange look. She tilted her head.

"Stand a minute Findilmë." He said in an odd tone, and she stood obediently, sliding off of the chair. He blinked. "I forgot elflings grow." He said faintly, and Eruanna paused, her eyes slowly widening. "Don't tell me you forgot." He said incredulously.

"Well I haven't grown for seven thousand years and just got out of Mandos, of course I forgot!" She exclaimed, running to the mirror. And they were right. She could tell that she had grown. Elflings grew more slowly than mortals, so it was a surprise to Eruanna that she had shot up a full inch in such a short period of time, as far as her sense of time worked.

For the first time, a concern bloomed in her mind. If Glorfindel came back too much later, she'd be out of her adolescent years in no time. He would come back to a virtual stranger. She didn't want that. She was always going to be a child somewhere deep inside, wanting hugs and affection.

"Must be you're growing faster than normal because you're technically of age in everything but body." Thel remarked, and she nodded slowly. That did make sense. Her body would naturally want to catch up to her mind.

"Oh, that reminds me, we have a letter from Atya. He says that we are to stay as wards of lord Ingwë for a year." Then he gave her a wide grin as she turned to look at him again. "He also said he wanted us to stay longer but Gwador Finda balked." He snickered, and Eruanna giggled along with him.

"Oh, and Atya also says that we should try to be as good as we possibly can." Thel added, and Eruanna grinned as she realized he had tacked it on at the end as though to diminish its importance. He could tell she wasn't fooled, and shrugged innocently. "What? I mean, Ingil will want us to pull more pranks. He told me he had been writing them down." He said with a glint in his eye, and Eruanna groaned out loud as Esgal let out a series of yips that sounded suspiciously like laughs. She turned and gave her wolf a raised eyebrow, and he looked back with lowered ears and wide eyes of innocence.

Ecthelion roared. "See? He agrees." He said smugly, and Eruanna shook her head in defeat.

"I was forced to join." She proclaimed loudly out the window, and heard faint laughter waft in. "Eönwë, the Valar be witness, I had nothing to do with this plan!" She called, and the addressed Maiar appeared, scribbling down in his large Book of Oaths. Ecthelion was collapsed in laughter as Esgal barked in amusement and Eönwë gave her a wink as she waved with a cheeky grin. "Pwease tell Atto hiiii." She lisped purposefully, and he rolled his eyes good-naturedly.

"I will." He answered, and patting her head, disappeared. She turned back to see Ingalaurë standing in the doorway with a bewildered look.

"Did I miss something?" He asked, and received no answer but laughter as Ecthelion and Eruanna went into hysterics.

LOTRLOTRLOTR

" **Ingalaurë**!" The roar came from a room in the royal wing of the palace, and Eruanna and Ecthelion looked at each other with raised eyebrows as the yell carried throughout the adjoining wings as well. There was a crash, and Eruanna peeked out the door just as footsteps and hysterical laughter passed by. Almost immediately, she whipped her head back and closed the door, biting her lip and her face convulsing.

"What?" Ecthelion sounded alarmed.

"Ingil-" she choked. "Ingwion's hair-" she gasped.

"What about it?" He demanded.

"Green!" She screamed in laughter, bent over double and tears running down her cheeks. Ecthelion paused, and then seemed to picture the ellon with green hair before joining her. There was a knock on the door, and Eruanna opened it, wiping her eyes, to see Ingwë standing there with a puzzled look on his face.

"Ah, Laurëfindilmë, Ecthelion, I was just coming to speak with you when I heard this horrific scream-" He began, and stopped as Eruanna broke into another fit of laughter.

"Ingil dyed his brother's hair green." Ecthelion gasped, and Ingwë came in with a half relieved, half resigned look on his face.

"Well at least it wasn't something actually worse." He sighed. "That won't be the first prank. Now I understand how Arafinwë feels raising Reborn." He said wearily, sinking into Eruanna's unoccupied chair as they struggled to calm down and pity the Ingaran.

Eruanna trotted over and patted his hand sympathetically. "It's okay. He'll grow up." She said condescendingly, and he chuckled as he swung her up into his lap.

As you have been, I see." He replied, stroking her hair, and she nodded.

"You wanted to speak with us, my lord?" Ecthelion asked gravely, sitting back up and paying attention.

"Yes, children, but not about anything serious." Ingwë answered with a faint smile. "So be at ease. There was a missive that arrived this morning that is for the both of you. It is from Taniquetil." There was a pause as he handed the envelope to Ecthelion, and Eruanna looked up into the face of the Elven King.

She remembered seeing him walk through the streets of his city as he did once every month, allowing the common people to speak with him and bring him their grievances, seeing him stop at a small cottage and turn in to drink wine with the couple that lived there. Eruanna admired him. He was a wise and just lord, ruling fairly and making himself a part of the people. A small smile crossed her face as she thought of Ingil. He would be happy here, she could tell.

Ecthelion read the letter, sealed with the urgent red seal, and Eruanna focused her vision on Esgal who was lying at the foot of the bed with his eyes closed but his ears pricked up. "Eruanna and Ecthelion, wards of Arafinwë, Lord Manwë invites you to make a visit to his mansion on Taniquetil on the morning of tomorrow. It would be his pleasure to receive you."

Ecthelion looked up, and Ingwë spoke. "There was no messenger, however." He said. Eruanna shook her head and slid out of his lap, trotting to the window.

"Fionwë-!" She called softly. "Please tell lord Manwë we will be happy to come tomorrow." A faint smell of lemongrass and peppermint filled their noses for a moment, and Eruanna smiled faintly as she breathed it in.

"Well that's done." Ecthelion dusted off his hands, and Ingwë chuckled.

"True, I had forgotten about that method of communication." He admitted. "Well now, another thing I wished to mention- after this year is over I believe that you will be sent back to Arafinwë, correct?" Ingwë asked, and Ecthelion nodded.

"Ah, good, good." Ingwë said as he stood. "Well then, I shall leave you to prepare." He said, going to the door.

"Thank you lord Ingwë." Eruanna called, and he smiled at them before disappearing, muttering something under his breath about 'Ingwion's hysteria.' Eruanna and Ecthelion grinned at each other before going to their wardrobes to prepare for the meeting on the next day with the Elder King of Aman.

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Eruanna had to admit, the mansion on Taniquetil was beyond description. Fountains, waterfalls, bridges, rainbows galore... It was like one of Irmo's fairest dreams made manifest. Both Eruanna and Ecthelion had traveled up to the mansion alone, the invitation inviting only them and the path being very obviously safe. They had hiked up on foot, finally reaching the gates and pausing in both hesitation and wonder.

There was a sudden poignant smell of lemongrass and peppermint, and Fionwë appeared at the gates along with Eönwë with a soft, welcoming smile on his face. Eruanna's face lit up and she pitched herself into the Maia's arms as he laughed and Eönwë smiled broadly.

"Fionwë!" She squealed happily, planting a hearty kiss on his cheek. The lavender-haired Maia chuckled and kissed her head gently, smoothing her hair.

"Looks like someone is happy to see you, Fionwë." Eönwë chuckled as Ecthelion grinned and greeted both of them.

"My Maia." Eruanna sniffed, causing Fionwë to smile amusedly and Eönwë and Ecthelion to raise their eyebrows.

"Since when do Maiar come as pets? I want one in that case!" Ecthelion exclaimed teasingly, and Eönwë feigned affront.

"Pet!?" He demanded in mock-rage.

*Alright then, my pets, are you coming or shall I send Námo to fetch you?* A voice floated in mock-severity through their ears, and in a moment Eönwë and Fionwë were following a sprinting Eruanna and Ecthelion to the doors of the mansion.

"No!" Ecthelion gasped at the door. "I'm coming, I promise!" He wailed, and Eruanna laughed at him uncontrollably. Eönwë rolled his eyes good-naturedly as he and Fionwë opened the doors for them to tumble through and land on the floor in a heap.

"Sowwy." Eruanna lisped, scrambling to her feet and bowing to the four Valar sitting on their thrones with indulgent smiles. She and Ecthelion bowed, and Manwë chuckled.

"I will forgive your unseemly conduct and attempt to steal my Maia in favor of my joy in seeing you both well and in good spirits." Manwë said amusedly, and Eruanna and Ecthelion shuffled abashedly.

"Come, children." Manwë opened his arms to them with fond smiles, and they received his loving hug as from father to children. Then Eruanna ran to Námo and reached up her arms at the foot of his throne.

"Atto, Atto." She begged, and he lifted her up to place a gentle kiss on her brow. Ecthelion chose to sit at Manwë's feet, looking pleased and content there.

"I have missed you as well, yelde." Námo said, and Vairë smiled upon Eruanna gently. Eruanna popped her thumb in her mouth with a happy smile, kicking her feet in dumb delight.

"I called you here not only because we wanted to see you and make sure that you were well, but also to ask you both something." Manwë said gravely, and Ecthelion and Eruanna straightened unconsciously.

"Eruanna, you know that you will mature more quickly than a normal Reborn." It wasn't a question, but she nodded anyway. "There is someone that will be released in a year or so that we would like to ask you to receive and care for. If you agree it shall all be arranged for you. Ecthelion, we merely want to tell you that you are welcome to live where you wish after this year." Manwë finished.

Ecthelion nodded. "Thank you, lord Manwë." He answered. "I want to live with my little golden flower." He said with a smile, and Eruanna smiled shyly.

"Thank you, otorno." She said softly, and then looked to lord Manwë. "If it will please you, then I will do this thing you have asked of me." She said, and looked down.

"Thank you, yelde." Námo murmured, and smiled secretively at Vairë, who returned it. Manwë merely smiled, and said nothing.

LOTRLOTRLOTR

"Hey Findilmë!" Ingalaurë's head popped through the doorway of her and Ecthelion's room, and Eruanna looked up questioningly.

"There's a letter for you." He said cheerfully, waving an envelope before coming into the room and handing it to her. She took it as he plopped himself on her bed, and she noticed the urgent red seal on the envelope. Raising an eyebrow, she began to open it.

"Say, where is Thel?" Ingalaurë asked interestedly, propping his elbows up on the bed.

"At the kitchens." She murmured absently, and Ingalaurë nodded.

"Alright then." He said, and leaped off the bed to go find the ellon in question.

Eruanna slowly opened the letter, and pulled out the folded paper. But she paused hesitantly before opening it, feeling suddenly uncertain. Something about the letter in her hands seemed strange to her, as though it felt heavy in her fingers. She wavered for a moment in her confidence, and then looked around the room.

"Esgal?" Her voice raised slightly, sounding a little frightened, and in a moment the wolf had left his post by the bed to sit in front of her with wagging tail and lolling tongue. She crawled down from the chair and climbed onto the bed, patting the coverlet. Esgal obediently leaped onto the bed and curled up behind her so that his tail lay in her lap and his nose laid to her right. She leaned back against him and opened the letter, beginning to read it slowly.

 _Eruanna:_

 _This is your Gwador, Sador. I am terribly sorry to bother you at this moment, as I know that you are visiting Ingalaurë, but there is an issue in Tol Eressëa that I'm afraid can only be handled by you._

 _A ship came into harbor yesterday, and there were several elves on board, along with one dwarf. I believe you know them well. The dwarf, named Gimli, was the companion of one Prince Legolas, and the other three-_

 _I am not sure how to phrase this to you, but I believe you can draw conclusions for yourself. They know you very well. One of them is... Not very happy. He expected to find you here, and heard that you were on mainland. Of course, he came to conclusions from the news running about the island of Ecthelion's release and the adoptions into the household of Atya Arafinwë, and while he was happy to hear that, he was most certainly not pleased to hear of your release._

 _None of them are very happy at all, and- well, Glorfindel is not making things easy. He is frightening many, and I am at a loss what to do. I'm afraid only you can handle this correctly. He even threatened to go to Manwë and Námo... I dread to think of what he would do. Please, Eruanna, come quickly, for the sake of not only your brother but also Aman. Your Gwador,_

 _Cáno Sador Boronwegion of Tol Eressëa_

Eruanna stared at the letter, and it slowly fell from her trembling fingertips as she pressed a shaking hand to her mouth. Esgal, seeing her clear distress, began to whimper and nudge her worriedly.

"Oh Esgal." She breathed. "They're back... Glorfy is actually back... And Dan and Ro." The tears streamed from her cheeks for a moment, before she suddenly paused and remembered the rest of the letter. Then her cheeks flushed. For the second time in her life, Eruanna became angry at her brother.

Her face became red for a moment, and she stood up, walking to the mirror. During the past year, she had grown even more, until by now she was the size of a human eight-year old. Of course, this was still small to the elves, but it was still quite a quick growth. She took a deep breath, and pinched her nose to calm herself.

"Calm, Eruanna." She mumbled to herself. After a moment, she turned to Esgal. "Nope. I'm angry." She growled, and stormed over to the bed, grabbing the letter and marching out the door. Esgal followed after, his ears laid flat and eyes wide, never having seen Eruanna so angry before. She finally made it to the throne room where Ingwë sat, where there was thankfully no one but the ever-present lords there.

Ingwë smiled at the elfling as she curtseyed at the throne. "Why, hello, Laurëfindilmë." He said with a smile. "What is it that you would request of me?" He asked gently.

Eruanna stood, and everyone saw the sparks in her eyes. "I would ask for permission to leave for Tol Eressëa on urgent request of Cáno Sador, lord Ingwë. I am grateful for your care and generous welcome, but I am afraid that it is very urgent." She said, her voice flat and emotionless in an attempt to calm down as she handed the letter to a frowning Ingwë. He read it, and everyone saw his eyes widen fractionally. He handed the letter back to her.

"I see your predicament." He said gravely. "It is indeed an urgent matter. I shall send you on your way on the morrow." He said, and she bowed.

"I thank you again for your graciousness in this matter, lord Ingwë." She replied before heading back out and moving to pack.

When Ecthelion finally arrived with Ingalaurë, having pilfered the kitchen, it was to see a tense Eruanna shoving clothes into a small pack and Esgal huddling in a corner. Thel dropped the stuff on the bed and hurried over.

"What is wrong?" He exclaimed, and Eruanna handed him the letter, tight-lipped. He read it, and his eyes widened.

"Oh Valar." He sank onto the bed, white-faced. "If Glorfindel is angry..." He trailed off weakly, and Ingalaurë munched silently on a tart, listening as solemnly as was possible while smudging strawberry jam on his face.

"But why are you so angry?" Ingalaurë asked confusedly.

"You don't want to know." Ecthelion said quickly, and Eruanna said nothing. Then she closed the pack and turned back to the two ellyn, giving them a wintry smile.

"Glorfindel will find that out when I get there."

And Ecthelion and Ingalaurë shuddered involuntarily at the utterly dark tone in her voice that boded ill for the enraged and sulking Glorfindel.


	14. Relieved Reunions

_I'm putting this chapter up a bit early because I'll be gone for the next three days, mmkay? Thank you for the reviews last chapter, I hope you enjoy this one! I know it's been a long time coming... Let's see how it works out! As always, thank you for the reviews, follows, and favorites! It always surprises me when I see yet another notification, though I'm flattered to no end. So please,_

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Chapter 14

Eruanna rode into Tol Eressëa after crossing the small channel from mainland, Esgal at her side and Ecthelion also with her on the same horse. They had come with only a small escort, and the guards led them to the mansion where Sador lived with his wife and Aunt, who was like a mother to him.

Sador was at the door to greet them along with Alassiel, and Eruanna gave them a polite bow, her face utterly emotionless. Sador, recognizing her mood as similar to Glorfindel's, immediately led them to their rooms.

"Thank you, Gwador." Eruanna said with a grateful smile, and he nodded and returned it.

"Dinner is at six. No one but Alassiel and my aunt know that you are here." He said, and Eruanna nodded with a sudden, wintery smile that unnerved him.

"Thank you. I hope you don't mind a... Commotion?" She asked, and he sighed.

"Anything to make Glorfindel stop this." He said wearily, and Eruanna hugged his waist sympathetically.

"I will. Don't worry, Gwador." She said confidently, and he smiled before excusing himself. Eruanna sat at the window thinking while Ecthelion and Esgal rested from the journey.

But finally, it was time to go down for dinner. Eruanna purposefully went last, pausing by the doorway as Ecthelion was greeted with surprised exclamations from everyone. Then Eruanna saw Glorfindel, sitting at the table, rising to greet his friend with a grin. She almost broke down in tears to see him, then remembered why she was here and stiffened her resolve. He must be scolded, and she was the only one to do it. But finally Ecthelion pulled away and sat, looking at Glorfindel gravely.

"I heard you've been rather sullen lately." He said, and Glorfindel's face shuttered off. The others at the table seemed to cringe. "There's someone here to see you." Ecthelion said nonchalantly, and Eruanna stepped into view. For a moment there was a dead silence, then Glorfindel leaped up.

"Eruanna!" He exclaimed, running forwards and kneeling to hug her tightly. But when she gave no reply, he pulled back with a puzzled look to see her tight-lipped expression. And then, to everyone's utter shock, she raised her hand and brought it down.

Glorfindel grimaced, a red mark in the shape of a hand forming on his cheek. Then he frowned. "And what was that for?" He asked tightly, and her look made even Gimli, sitting uncomfortably at the table, blanch.

"Glorfindel." Her audible voice made him visibly reel as Elrohir, Elladan, and Legolas gasped. "You disappoint me." Her tone, reproachful and soft, made her clear anger all the more terrifying. Glorfindel hesitated, and she went on.

"I receive a message from Gwador Sador telling me that you are here, and then begging me to come and save Aman from your childish tantrum." She snapped, eyes blazing. "You act like this just because I found healing? You would grudge me what you know by personal experience to be a good thing?" Then tears welled in her eyes. "You said you were selfish over me, but I never expected you to be like this..."

By then Glorfindel's head was hanging. "I'm sorry, seler." He whispered. "I just... Was so disappointed that you had to..." He didn't continue, visibly trembling. "I'm sorry."

Eruanna slowly relaxed, and then stepped forwards and hugged her errant brother. "You're forgiven, Glorfy." She said gently. "I love you, big brother. I've missed you so much." She said with a smile in her voice, and Glorfindel clutched her tightly.

"You don't know how much I missed you as well, seler." He rasped, and she kissed his cheek before patting his cheeks gently.

"Glorfy promise not to be bad, now?" She asked sweetly, and he laughed slightly through his tears.

"I'll try, but I can't promise." He answered, and there were relieved chuckles as the air lightened.

"Then Glorfy promise not to get mad at the Valar?" Eruanna asked sternly, and Glorfindel looked into her eyes sincerely.

"If you aren't, then I'll try my best. But no promises." He answered calmly, and she nodded in satisfaction. Then she turned and ran for Elrohir, who stood and swung her up, hugging her and burying his face into her hair.

"I hope you at least thought about us once?" Elrohir asked with a smile, and Eruanna giggled.

"I missed you, Ro." She smiled, and was handed to Dan after bestowing a kiss upon Elrohir's cheek.

"I missed you too, Dan." She said cheerfully, and he smiled as she kissed his cheek.

"As did we. And we are happy to hear you speak." He said with a fond smile, and she smiled cheekily before moving to Legolas.

"Missed you, Le'las." She said cheerily, and Gimli chuckled as Legolas smiled, picking her up for a hug.

"As I did you, penneth." He smiled, and Eruanna went to bow before Gimli, who inclined his head back.

"I welcome you happily to Aman, Gimli son of Gloin, elf-friend." She said with a kind smile, and Gimli nodded.

"It is good to see you as well, lady Ren." He answered gruffly, and she smiled faintly before running back to Glorfindel to be picked up and cuddled. Dinner was a happy affair, everyone deciding to pointedly ignore the previous events. Surprisingly, there was no awkwardness, but everyone seemed to naturally act as though they had never been apart. Perhaps, as Gimli remarked later, it was the air. The timeless sense of Aman, the Undying Lands.

Eruanna soon became restless in her perch on her brother's lap and squirmed, moving to Elrohir and begging to be picked up. He readily obliged and began to spoon-feed her, which she accepted happily, to Ecthelion's vast amusement. Sador talked long with a now-happy Glorfindel, while Elladan and Legolas and Gimli regaled the rest of the table with humorous stories from their travels.

Even after their bowls were emptied and the table cleared, they continued to talk. Elrohir looked down at a contentedly smiling Eruanna, his hand stroking the soft hair that was decidedly more golden then silver. "I missed you, penneth. We were all so worried for you." He murmured, and Eruanna sighed sadly.

"M sorry, Ro. I was... Not very well." Her face went white, and she refused to look at him. "I missed you, Ro. I thought of you, when I had n-nightmares and d-didn't feel well." She whispered, and was suddenly shivering for no apparent reason. Elrohir immediately drew her closer and rubbed her arms gently, not knowing what else to do.

"I'm sorry, Eruanna..." He trailed off, unsure of what to say, when Glorfindel took her from him and began to gently rock.

She clung to him as everyone's attention sharpened, concerned for the elfling. "I- I called for you, Glorfy, w-when I was in L-Lórien and I had the dream about the d-dark... B-but you weren't there, and F-Fionwë p-promised to light a candle." Eruanna stuttered, seemingly chilled to the bone and unable to stop talking.

"A-and then when I remembered the B-Balrog..." Her face went utterly bloodless down to her very lips, and Ecthelion shuddered in his chair. Glorfindel looked decidedly ill as the rest sat in shocked silence. There was a sudden coalescence of light, and everyone leaped up as a certain Maia appeared with a grim look.

"Sit." Fionwë commanded, and they sat almost without realizing it. Fionwë took Eruanna gently from Glorfindel, who gave her up reluctantly, and brushed a hand over her forehead.

"Wake up, child. It is naught but a memory, a ghost of the past." He murmured gently, and slowly her shivers went down and she relaxed. "That's right, Findilmë. You'll be fine." He continued soothingly. "Your brother is here." He smiled at Glorfindel, who returned it with a brittle one.

A sigh left Eruanna's lips, and she smiled faintly. "Glorfy." She mumbled. "Atto promised..." She yawned, and Fionwë nodded.

"Yes, child, he promised, and he will keep it." Fionwë replied calmly, and she fell asleep.

Glorfindel gave Fionwë a quizzical look as his sister was returned to him. "Atto?" He asked.

"Ah... That would be better answered by her." Fionwë replied, and with a wink faded away, leaving the rest to be partially filled in by Ecthelion.

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The next time Eruanna awoke, it was to be firmly clutched to Glorfindel like a safety blanket, her eyes stinging slightly from the crying of last night. She sighed and crawled reluctantly out of his warm grasp, going to clamber onto the windowsill. She had told Glorfindel everything that had happened from her release from Mandos, and he had listened attentively.

He had been rather bewildered at her relation to Námo, but then just shrugged. "Well, as long as he's not my Atto I suppose I don't really care." And Eruanna had almost melted into a puddle of relief, though she did smack him for the comment.

As she sat there swinging her legs, arms suddenly wrapped her into a cloak and she looked up to see Glorfindel smiling down at her softly. She smiled back happily and snuggled into the cloak, while they both looked out at the dawn in silence. Then when the sun had risen, they both dressed and washed before going down to meet everyone else at the table for breakfast.

"Where will you go first?" Elrohir asked Legolas and Gimli.

"I will go find my grandfather." Legolas replied softly. "My father will come one day." He smiled faintly, and the twins nodded.

"You might want to consider taking Gimli to the mines over by Oromë's forests. The elves there I am sure would welcome him and his knowledge." Glorfindel mentioned off-handedly, and Gimli perked up at the thought as Legolas agreed.

"And where will you go?" Glorfindel asked Elrohir and Elladan. The twins looked at each other uncertainly.

"Where will you go first?" Elladan asked Glorfindel, who raised an eyebrow.

"Tirion. My Gwador and Atya are waiting for Eruanna and Ecthelion and I to return." He answered, and the twins seemed to hold an ósanwë conversation through their bond. Then Elrohir nodded.

"We will go with you for a while before going to find our father." Elrohir finally said.

"Lord Eärendil and Elrond stay at Aewellondë." Eruanna put in quietly, and the twins looked at her in surprise as she blushed. "Eär'dil is my f-friend and lord." She stumbled, and the twins gave her considering looks as they were reminded of her true age.

"I see. I suppose we'll go there, then." Elrohir nodded, and Eruanna turned her attention back to her plate.

"Do you plan to go somewhere, seler?" Glorfindel inquired curiously, and Eruanna smiled up at Sador at the head of the table, who returned it as he listened interestedly to the conversation.

"I must go to Lórien at the end of this year. There is someone that is supposed to be released that Atto asked me to look after." She replied softly, and Glorfindel gave her a questioning look, and she shrugged. "I don't know who it is."

"I suppose we will stay with you until then before going to Aewellondë." Elladan said, and Eruanna and Glorfindel nodded.

"You will be welcomed." Glorfindel replied simply.

The rest of the days were spent with Sador, exchanging stories far into the night until they fell asleep in their chairs.

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Eruanna smiled as they neared the gate of Tirion, eager to see Finrod and Arafinwë again. She squirmed on Asfaloth in front of Glorfindel, nearly toppling off had not Asfaloth gently swerved to catch her. Glorfindel gathered her up with a scolding, tucking her tightly into his cloak as Elladan and Elrohir chuckled. They had parted ways with Gimli and Legolas, who were headed for Oromë's forests.

As soon as they arrived, Glorfindel was recognized and there were many waves and calls as they passed through the streets. Ecthelion was also greeted, as was Eruanna, who smiled and waved back. Eruanna suddenly reached out to Elrohir, who took her from Glorfindel. She latched onto him, much to the confusion of the citizens of Tirion who knew of Eruanna.

The Peredhil twins looked slightly uncomfortable but managed to make it to the palace without mishap, where they were granted entrance without a murmur. They dismounted, with Eruanna being held by Elrohir almost like a safety-blanket. Glorfindel led them quickly to the throne room, arriving in high spirits.

For a moment they stood there in the doorway, with Glorfindel , Eruanna, and Ecthelion grinning as Arafinwë and Finrod stared with their mouths open. Then Finrod stood and ran, meeting Glorfindel half-way as they hugged and laughed and Arafinwë beamed. Eruanna squirmed down and dragged Elrohir and Elladan to the front.

"Atya, Atya!" She called, and Arafinwë smiled down at her, holding out his arms in welcome. She ran to him and received his hug and kiss. "These are my gwedyr Elrohir and Elladan." She said in all solemnity. "Lady Artanis's grandsons." She said, and Arafinwë rose, coming to the two and kissing their brows.

"I welcome thee, my great-grandsons." He said formally, and they bowed and returned the greeting. Then Eruanna went to get her kiss from a jubilant Finrod.

"Finda!" She crowed, making said Prince laugh and the twins start slightly. Ecthelion had already greeted Finrod and went to greet Arafinwë, who was just as pleased to see them.

Then Celeborn and Galadriel came in, and the reunions that commenced were full and sweet.

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Manwë sat upon his throne at Taniquetil, head propped up in his hand as he absently looked down upon the reunion. Námo appeared in his own chair, and they sat in silence for a moment- that is, until Tulkas appeared.

"Now will she go to Aewellondë?" The Vala of War sounded rather disconcertingly like a whining elfling, and Námo and Manwë rolled their eyes at each other.

"After she meets him." Manwë replied dryly, and Tulkas cheered up considerably.

"Well all's well then. I was wondering if I'd ever get an apprentice to work with." Tulkas said cheerily, cracking his knuckles in anticipation.

"Yes, well, I do hope you won't work her too hard, Tulkas." Námo said in a deceptively mild tone.

"No worries." Was the blithe answer, and Manwë looked decidedly relieved. Námo in a bad mood was... Not to be thought of, Atar have mercy.

"HE is not anywhere near Alqualondë, is he?" Tulkas asked as an afterthought, and Námo rolled his eyes.

"Of course not. If he was, I would have to go bodily and spirit him away. Besides, that's Ulmo's job, not mine." Was the sour answer, and Manwë stifled an amused smile.

"Already possessive, are we?" Tulkas teased. Námo sniffed facetiously.

"Of course. She's my daughter." Was the defensive answer as Manwë thoroughly enjoyed the conversation.

"Your precious?" Tulkas went on gleefully, ignoring the glare he was receiving.

"Don't compare me to a jewel-obsessed, lidless eye." Námo growled, and Tulkas roared as Manwë grinned.

"Oh, that's just as good as tone-deaf Melkor." Tulkas sniggered, and Manwë had to stifle his snorts as Námo groaned.

"Not this again. I told you, I was inebriated when I said that!" Námo groused, and Tulkas slapped Manwë on the back, eliciting a breathless 'whoof' of air from the hapless Elder King as Námo smirked.

"Or a blueberry Vala?" Námo asked slyly, as Manwë attempted to get his breath back with a withering glare. Námo remained rather stubbornly un-withered, however, and Manwë had to be content with Tulkas' grumble at the unfairness of the teasing.

"Unfair? I say, the stars are always brighter on the other side of the universe!" Námo retorted as Manwë got his breath back a little too late to start a heated debate.

Meanwhile, Eru looked down at His arguing children in amusement, idly forming the future of the elleth that was being discussed.


	15. Finding Father

_Hi everyone! I'm sorry I haven't updated in a while, but I was busy during Christmas week, of course, and after that I got sick so I was too miserable to write anything, and the week after **that** I had exams. I'm at the end of exam week though, so I want to update now... Forgive me? This chapter is kind of a peace offering in content... And also sort of indulging myself, ahaha, but I don't think you'll complain... _

_Thanks for sticking with me though, some feedback would be appreciated! I haven't had much recently and its kind of discouraging... But anyways, please, enjoy! Have a great day/evening!_

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Chapter 15

Eruanna looked down at the letter in her hands that had arrived that morning and was given to her by Ecthelion. She was sitting in a room with Glorfindel, Finrod, Ecthelion, and the Peredhil twins. They had settled into the family well over the past few months, which admittedly seemed to have passed quickly.

The missive was plain on the outside, with no red seal of urgency, and Eruanna slowly opened it, dreading what might be inside. She couldn't help remembering all the other times she received letters. They never really seemed to go well.

 _Eruanna, mîn yeldë,_

 _Come to the gates of Andondi Entulessëa. He is to be Reborn._

 _Námo, lord of Mandos_

Eruanna stared at the letter in bewilderment, wondering what elf could possibly be reborn that would have to do with her.

"Seler?" Glorfindel asked with a frown, and she turned to them, looking dazed.

"I- I don't know who it is." She replied absently, and Finrod gently took the letter from her hands to read it aloud.

"Well, there's only one way to find out." Glorfindel shrugged. "Could it be someone you befriended in the Halls?" He suggested, and Eruanna shook her head.

"My only good friends were Ingil and Thel." She replied, and they shrugged.

"So, who's going with us?" Thel asked nonchalantly.

"We?" Glorfindel raised an eyebrow, and Ecthelion sniffed.

"You and Eruanna and I, of course. Who else?" He asked, causing the rest to grin at the byplay.

"We'll go." Elladan spoke up, and Elrohir nodded as Eruanna crawled into his lap.

"Ro go?" She queried, and Elrohir smiled gently.

"Aye penneth, I shall go too." He replied softly. Eruanna smiled and leaned into him, clutching a lock of the dark hair in her fist. She had grown even more, and was now the size of a human ten-year-old, though that was still but a babe in the eyes of the elves. Esgal kept one eye on Eruanna from his self-appointed station by the door, to the general amusement of the elves.

Eruanna yawned, snuggling into Elrohir's lap. "Why does Elrohir get all the cuddles?" Elladan mock-whined, and Eruanna sniffed as the rest looked on with grins.

"Cause Ro loves me more." Was the answer, as she snuggled into a hapless Elrohir and stuck out her tongue at the offended Elladan.

Ecthelion swept her up into his arms with his own sniff. "Well I was the first of her gwedyr to ever hold her, so naturally I hug best." He declared as Eruanna giggled.

"Thel!" She squealed, as Finrod grinned.

"Ah, but I'm the highest royalty here. I claim the right to get hugs first!" He said, grabbing Eruanna and holding her captive as she shrieked in delight at the toss he gave her.

"My sister - I get the best hugs and most of the kisses!" Glorfindel exclaimed, snatching Eruanna away and smothering her. She let out a muffled squeal into the mass of golden hair, squirming.

There was riotous laughter by now as all of the ellyn went into a competition for Eruanna's attention. Eruanna, now unobserved, crawled over to Esgal and buried herself in his warm blanket of fur as he curled around her. His nose buried into her hair as she giggled and hugged him, kissing his nose.

"So, Eruanna, who won?" Elladan turned to Eruanna, only for them to gape at the smug Esgal who cradled the happily dozing Eruanna in his fur.

"Looks like we all lost." Glorfindel said ironically as they laughed.

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Eruanna looked out wonderingly at Lórien from inside Glorfindel's cloak, her wide eyes taking in the sight of the demesne of Irmo. She had been here before, true, but not to this part of it, and the sight of all the different trees and plants here was almost overwhelming.

Elrohir and Elladan were silent, while Glorfindel and Ecthelion talked. Eruanna stayed quiet, her fingers still clutching the letter from Námo. She hoped to see him, because she hadn't in a while and missed her Atto. Or maybe, she thought to herself wryly, she needed to make some trouble in order to get his attention.

"The gates usually open at noon, so we should try to find a place to stay." Glorfindel was saying, and there was a sudden coalescence of light as a Maia appeared with a smile.

"Olórin!" Glorfindel exclaimed, and the Maia laughed as he gathered Glorfindel and Eruanna into an embrace.

"Yes, child, it is I." Then he turned to the bemused twins. "Do old friends not deserve greetings?" He asked humorously, and they looked even more confused. Then Elladan gasped.

"Mithrandir?" He asked faintly, and Olórin chuckled.

"Old friends, new faces." He agreed, and Ecthelion rolled his eyes.

"Drama." He muttered as Eruanna giggled and Olórin raised an amused eyebrow. The twins allowed Olórin to hug them, and then the Maia turned to them all.

"Lodgings have been prepared for you already." He said, and they bowed in thanks. Olórin led them to their small rooms, and they stabled the horses. Esgal chose to sleep beside Eruanna's bed - which she shared with Glorfindel.

After they had lunch it was time for the gates to open, so they all met and made their way towards the gates, Olórin absent once more. Esgal stayed behind. Eruanna clutched Glorfindel's hand, looking around wonderingly at the different sights until they stared to become familiar, and she looked ahead to realize that they were indeed at the place where she had been released as well.

"Look Glorfy!" She exclaimed, pointing excitedly to the gate, and he smiled down at her with the same joy in his eyes.

"I see it, seler. Being on the other side was... An interesting experience, wasn't it?" He asked, and Eruanna nodded along with Ecthelion as Elladan and Elrohir looked thoughtful. Slowly other elves also gathered, glancing at the small group as they all waited for the gates to open. Eruanna fidgeted, wondering for the millionth time why she had been called here. She could not figure out who should be released that she should know, and waited impatiently to find out.

Finally, however, the gates slowly creaked and opened, causing several elves to gasp. Eruanna, however, craned her neck eagerly, seeing the mysterious fog that always seemed to appear right at the entrance. Glorfindel smiled slightly, remembering how Finrod had been there to greet him when he had been released. Elladan and Elrohir piled Ecthelion with questions, which were answered cheerfully.

Elves slowly came out and were greeted, their family or friends leading them away. Soon the line dwindled down to just a few elves, and Eruanna fidgeted. Would they really meet someone? But finally there was only one other family left besides them. The mist parted once more, and Eruanna peered to see who it was.

Someone came through the fog, looking white-faced and fearful, a small bundle clutched in his trembling hands as he looked around hesitantly. He had blonde hair the length of his shoulders, wavy and smooth, with darker skin than the elves- and sizzling blue eyes.

Eruanna froze, the blood draining from her face. She didn't even realize that she had fallen to her knees until Glorfindel called to her in concern. Then she was running, tearing away from Glorfindel's grasp in mindless desperation. She ran towards the newcomer, tears streaming down her cheeks as she reached out towards him. The male looked stricken, falling to his knees as Eruanna reached him. She flew into his chest, bunching his tunic into her hands in a death-grip and weeping.

His arms wrapped around her tightly, and tears dripped onto her hair. "Father!" She cried, pulling back to look into his face. Bright blue eyes smacked into hers, and she buried herself back into him, blind to everything else but him. She reached up, feeling his round ears under her fingers, touched his face, buried her hands in his hair, felt his heartbeat strong and steady.

"Ciaran." She sobbed. "Master - father - I love you. I missed you, so much." She hiccuped, and Ciaran clasped her to himself shakily.

"Oh Eruanna. To hear you speak." His familiar, comforting voice rasped in Sindarin. She continued to hold on to him, forgetting everything and everyone. After another moment, Ciaran pulled back reluctantly.

"I think maybe we should move..." He said uncertainly, and Eruanna clung to him tightly, refusing to let go.

"Eruanna - please, dear one-"

The familiar address finally made her pry away reluctantly and grasp his hand, blindly stumbling as she led him to where a stunned Glorfindel and Elladan and Elrohir stood by a confused Ecthelion. Námo stood unnoticed in the gate, smiling softly. Eruanna sniffled, holding onto Ciaran's leg.

"Th-Thel, this is Ciaran." She said, and Ciaran bowed awkwardly from Eruanna's weight.

"Pleased to meet you, lord Ecthelion." He said uncertainly, and Thel raised an eyebrow.

"As you have the obvious love of my little golden flower, I welcome you with all joy and sincerity." Ecthelion said genuinely, returning the bow. "And call me Ecthelion." He added with a smile, and Ciaran nodded, looking nonplused. Glorfindel drew the man into a fierce hug, smiling widely.

"H-how?" Elladan blurted, while Elrohir merely smiled softly.

Ciaran looked down, placing a gentle hand on Eruanna's head. "Lord Bannoth gave me a choice." He replied quietly. "To be judged as a firstborn or second born. He said that it was not his will but rather the One's."

"And Ciaran has chosen well." Námo's voice came from the gate, and Eruanna ran for him as he stooped to place a kiss upon her brow.

"And I am glad for you, yeldë." He said gently, and Eruanna blushed.

"Thank you, Atto." She whispered, hugging him, and he chuckled.

"You are welcome, my child." He answered fondly, and Eruanna reluctantly let go. "Be good, children." Námo said, and then turned and walked back into the gate. Eruanna went back to Ciaran and looked forlornly at the gate as it slowly swung closed and shut without a sound. She sighed, and Ciaran picked her up, burying his face into her hair.

"I'm sorry." He said meekly, and Eruanna pulled back to look at him in confusion. He ducked his head.

"I- I think I may have been the reason why you..." He swallowed thickly, and Eruanna shook her head.

"Because it has ended this way, I am happy. I have found healing and happiness, and what was in my former life has now passed." She smiled softly, and he nodded.

"Yes." He whispered, looking down. Then he suddenly gave her a forlorn look. "But... I'm a man... How am I supposed to live here?"

And to her dismay, Ciaran, who had always been strong and sure, broke down into uncontrollable tears as he clutched her to himself. She gave a grave Glorfindel a helpless look, even as she tried to cheer him up with a kiss.

"Well, looks like you're going to have company when you go to Aewellondë, Elladan, Elrohir." Glorfindel said with a thin smile, and this time it was Eruanna's turn to go completely white.

"No!" She cried in horror, and everyone looked shocked, Ciaran even going so far as to stop crying in his shock. "No, no, I cannot- I can't go- d-don't make me go- I won't go, I can't!" And in a sudden movement she was running towards the gates, just as Námo appeared and caught her. Eruanna screamed in terror then fell into his arms, weeping.

"I didn't mean to- I wasn't planning to, imsorryimsorryimsorry- please don't hurt me." She blubbered, while Námo sighed and held her, gently rocking and rubbing her back softly.

"Child, there is no need for this. Cease your weeping." He said sternly, and she slowly calmed down, hiccuping. Ciaran looked distraught. Námo gathered her into his arms, covering her with his grey cloak. "What did I tell you, child?" He asked her gently, and she looked into his eyes the color of wet slate before shuddering.

"You t-told me that I wasn't supposed to go to Aewellondë." She whispered, face bloodless. Glorfindel suddenly turned white and blindly clutched Ecthelion, whimpering.

"I said you were not to go _alone,_ child, not that you were never to go. Before, you were not ready. But now, now you may go, for Ciaran is here with you. You will be his authority to be there, and he will be proof that you must be there. Do you see this, child?" Námo asked, gently shaking the elfling, who swallowed and nodded, wide-eyed.

"Your obedience does you credit, child. Now do not fear but go with joy, for now is the right time. Your lord awaits you eagerly." He said, placing a gentle kiss upon her brow and standing. She nodded, and he gave them all a beatific smile before he was just not there.

Eruanna slowly walked back towards the rest, then looked up at them with shame on her face. "I'm sorry." She whispered, and Glorfindel gathered her up.

"It is well, seler. I know, for I, too, was once banned from going up Taniquetil alone." He said softly, and she nodded.

Then Ecthelion sighed. "Well, I, for one, am in the dark here and I do not like it. So, can we go and exchange tales while making plans to go to Aewellondë?" He asked, giving them a wry look as they agreed.

The rest of the day was spent in one of the pavilions of Lórien, doing just that.

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The horses' hooves beat a steady tattoo against the cobblestones of the road to Tirion, and Eruanna listened to the conversation between Ecthelion and Glorfindel from her perch in front of Ciaran. The Reborn human clutched her as though he was uncertain of himself, and she maintained a relaxed pose in front of him.

"So, when do you think Atya will allow us to go to Aewellondë?" Ecthelion asked, and Glorfindel shook his head.

"Did you learn in Lórien about Aman?" Eruanna asked Ciaran softly, and he nodded hesitantly.

"I learned about the hierarchy and customs while I was there." He answered quietly, and she nodded.

"As long as you follow that protocol, you will be alright." She said with an encouraging smile. "Atya and Gwador will be happy to see you." She said, her eyes lighting in excitement at the thought. He blinked in confusion.

"Who is-?" He gave her a questioning look, and she blushed.

"Sorry. I forgot you might not recognize them by that name - Finarfin and Finrod." She said, and his eyes widened.

"You mean..." He looked nonplused, and she smiled faintly.

"Yes. I know that Finrod will be happy to see you. After all, he loved the Edain most." She said in a wistful tone. There was a sudden blooming of warmth and affection in Ciaran's mind, and Eruanna noticed his start with a frown of concern. His face suddenly paled, and his wide eyes looked into hers wordlessly as a timid thought slunk into her mind.

 _The bond..._

Eruanna started before looking at him with wide eyes and nodding jerkily. The bond was there. Maybe fledgling and untried, but it was still there - that master apprentice bond. Or was it more than that? Without saying a word about the issue, they continued talking about trivial things by mutual consent.

The arrival at the palace didn't take place until a good week later, thanks to the slow pace they had agreed on to help Ciaran get used to the idea of being reborn and in the presence of so many elves and no humans. Eruanna was the main safety blanket, to the mingled amusement and exasperation of the others. He veritably refused to let go of her unless positively necessary.

As they trotted through the city, Ciaran held on tightly to Eruanna as she pointed to the different sights, his eyes wide as his head swiveled to take it all in. Ecthelion watched them with some amusement while Elrohir and Elladan talked with Glorfindel. Esgal trotted next to Ciaran and Eruanna's horse, as usual, while Eruanna made sure from time to time that he was there, tongue lolling out as he panted happily and let out a bark from time to time.

When they reached the palace, Eruanna yawned and leaned back into Ciaran, feeling herself grow sleepy from the rigors of traveling. The man merely kept his hood over his head, uncomfortable and staring at the child's peaceful face. He began to stroke her hair softly, humming quietly so that she could hear him, and with a sigh Eruanna drifted off to sleep. His voice, she thought sleepily, sounded faintly like Aragorn's when he used to sing under his breath. Her small fists clenched fistfuls of his cloak in her hands, and her breath came soft and shallow as he gently shifted her to rest in his arms carefully.

Glorfindel discreetly watched the little tableau, a little ache in his heart as he admitted that his little sister had a strong love for the man. He grudged Ciaran nothing, as he was fond of him, but nonetheless it did come as a little hurtful that he would have to share his precious little sister with others. It was selfish, he knew very well, but he allowed himself to indulge in it for a little while. After all, he hadn't seen her in a while.

When they finally were admitted into the throne room, Finrod and Arafinwë greeted them warmly once more and turned inquiringly to the hooded character that held Eruanna so closely in the folds of his cloak.

"Welcome," Arafinwë said. "What might your name be?"

Ciaran paused, then bowed as well as he could with the elfling in his arms before allowing the hood to fall from his face. "My name is Ciaran, my lord, and I was a servant of Aragorn, your great-grandson," he said quietly but respectfully, and Finrod's eyes widened as he took a step forwards.

"You - you are the one that Eruanna loved so, the one who-?" he glanced at the child, and Ciaran ducked his head.

"Yes, my lords," he mumbled, and Finrod's face brightened.

"It is good to see an Edain again, after so long. I have missed their company," he said, and Ciaran looked up, a wry look in his eyes.

"I'm afraid I make no good tales, my lord," he said, and Finrod grinned.

"Who said I wanted yours?" he teased subtly, and the tense atmosphere lightened considerably.

"It has indeed been a long while since I have been in the company of an Edain. Come, I feel there are tales to exchange, and I see that my children are tired," Arafinwë said warmly, and ushered them into another room.

Despite all happy reunions and friendships, however, night found Eruanna slumbering peacefully in the arms of Ciaran, while Esgal kept watch from his corner of the room.

LOTRLOTRLOTR

"Elwing?"

"Yes, my lord?" the answer was soft and inviting. Eärendil sighed and turned from where he was standing at the window overlooking the harbor. Elwing glided over to him in slight concern, and he sat on the windowsill, pulling her into his lap. They both looked out the window, watching the birds skim the waves.

After a moment, Eärendil spoke slowly, as though sorting out his thoughts. "You remember Findilmë?"

"The precious little child? Of course," Elwing answered softly, her eyes growing gentle at the thought.

"I asked the Valar if she would be allowed to come here, with us. To live here," he sighed. "It was admittedly a selfish desire on my part. I wish to have her here, partly to make up for lost time, partly because she is my only friend and link from Gondolin, partly because my mother and father are not back yet, and partly because I think it would be well to have a child grow up here among our people. For the people here. There are no children, and I thought perhaps..."

Elwing noted his hesitant pause. "Perhaps it would encourage them to have children?" she supplied, and his brows drew together as his face became troubled.

"Only somewhat," he replied, clearly disturbed in mind. "But she is too... too old for that really. Her mind is not a child's, Elwing. No, I believe I was more thinking of bringing healing to this place. She has a gift, Elwing. The gift to open hearts to her without their realizing, and a gift of knowing how to heal. And love, just think of how much she loves!" the exclamation was said so suddenly that Elwing felt startled for a moment, before there was a silence and Eärendil's breath came labored.

She turned over his statement carefully in her thought before realizing what he meant. "Because she had none for so long..." she murmured, and Eärendil let out an explosive sigh.

"Yes. Because she had none. It is a miracle that she can love so much, so openly, so freely... she would have herself wounded ten thousand times over before she would have another suffer," he replied. "That sort of mind... it would do good here," he mused, and Elwing poked him gently.

"What did the Valar say?" she prodded, taken with the new idea.

Eärendil's lips quirked as he looked down at her interested face. "They told me to be patient," he replied with dry humor, and Elwing rolled her eyes.

"They would have us wait until the End of Arda," she scoffed in mild disgust, causing Eärendil to laugh delightedly.

"Dear wife, perhaps you should go and tell them so, and they just might listen to you better than they would me!"

The only reply he received was a hearty slap quickly accompanied by a loving kiss, which was returned with alacrity.


	16. Two Years Later - Duty

"Eruanna, dearest, come here!" Amarië's voice called almost querulously from the study.

A young elleth who looked to be about one hundred entered from the adjoining music room almost immediately, her yet-youthful face set in a worried frown. Her silver-gold tresses were long and bound into an intricate network of braids behind her head, while her arms and throat were decorated with jewelry she had made herself. Her frame was thin but wiry, and her body showed all the awkward stages of growing into hips and curves, though her walk was not clumsy.

"I am here aunt Amarië. Did you need me?" Eruanna asked softly, drawing near to the desk where her "aunt" sat, looking over papers.

"Am I bothering you, dear?" Amarië asked, and Eruanna shook her head.

"I was playing with Otorno Thel for Father Ciaran, but it is of no importance," was the prompt answer.

"Findaráto has sent a missive from Vanyamar," Amarië said tremulously, handing her the letter.

Eruanna took the piece of parchment with slightly-trembling fingers, knowing that it was not to be good news. Glorfindel had gone with Findaráto as the head of the Noldorin prince's guard, leaving his sister behind in the hands of Arafinwë and the other royals. She worried that perhaps her brother had come to some mishap, and her blue-green eyes were troubled as she began to read.

 _Amarië meldanya,_

 _We have arrived at Vanyamar safely, so do not worry on this account. However, in our business with Ingwë, lord Manwë called for us to come to Ilmarin. Thus, Glorfindel and I ascended Taniquetil, and met with lords Manwë and Irmo and Námo._

 _I now regret to inform you, beloved, that you must carefully tell our dear Laurëfindilmë that her brother has been called into active duty as apprentice to lord Manwë. He will be required to abide with Ingwë for a time. Glorfindel had no problem with this, as he was expecting the call long before, but he was most certainly troubled to hear that Eruanna would not be called to stay with him. Manwë explicitly stated that she was required elsewhere, and that though they could freely visit, that their time of separation has come._

 _Glorfindel tells me that he is not entirely surprised, but that nonetheless the hurt he expected has come to smite his heart closely. He asks me to write on his behalf to Eruanna to ask her if she is not overly much angry at her brother for this matter, and if she can do this thing willingly._

 _My dear, do not fret for Glorfindel, but comfort Eruanna as best you can. I shall return, regretfully without Glorfindel, within two weeks. In the meantime, please try to pack such things as Glorfindel will need in Vanyamar, as he is to move in to the palace. Glorfindel also adds that it is best this way - he shall not have to weep overly much at a formal parting._

 _Yours, Findaráto, Haryon to Arafinwë Finwion, Noldoran._

For a moment Eruanna looked at the letter after reading it, then a sudden look of mingled pain and pleasure suffused her face, surprising the carefully-watching Amarië. A slow, half-sorrowful, half-joyed smile stretched across her lips, and a tremulous sigh that spoke volumes escaped into the still air.

"Eruanna?" Amarië queried, troubled at this mingled reaction.

Eruanna looked up at her aunt, and Amarië almost shied away from the light that shone in her niece's eyes. "I am fine, aunt Amarië," was the whispered answer, as she gently pressed the letter into her aunt's hands. "I was expecting this, though not so soon," she bit her lip for a moment, looking as though she saw something beyond the walls. Tears suddenly started into her eyes. "I will finally go to serve my lord," she breathed, and the pure delight in her voice caused Amarië to shudder wonderingly.

"I shall miss him, but nonetheless there is joy in this pain of parting. So be it. I shall happily drink this cup of both sorrow and joy," she said decidedly, then looked to Amarië with a more happy smile. "I shall go pack for Muindor, Aunt," she said with a curtsey, and Amarië nodded after kissing her niece in comfort. Eruanna ran into the music room, where Ecthelion and Ciaran sat talking while waiting for her to return.

It had been a year since Ciaran had been restored to Eruanna as a firstborn like Eärendil, and in that time, many things had stabilized for Eruanna and those connected to her. Ciaran had begun to slowly acclimate himself to life as one of the Eldar, and although he would at times have problems remembering it, he was still grateful to be with his daughter-of-heart. Ecthelion, on the other hand, had settled in as part of the Warriors guild and Music Guild, where he was respected. Also, he had become part of a "kitchen cabinet" for Arafinwë. Glorfindel has already been seen, as has Findaráto. Elladan and Elrohir had long since gone to Aewellondë, and the last Eruanna had heard of Legolas and Gimli, they had gone to the mines by the Pelori Mountains.

As for Eruanna herself, she had shot up like a weed in one year so that now, her body was on the cusp of changing into maturity. It had considerably slowed once it had hit that stage, and she was now almost stuck, once again, in a younger form. Not entirely, but it had slowed to such a considerable degree to allow her mind to acclimate.

Ciaran and Ecthelion looked at her with surprise as she paused, flushed and eyes bright with tears. "Dear one?" Ciaran slipped into Westron in his concern, and Eruanna turned to him, rushing over to kneel at his side.

"Oh Father, Glorfindel is called to serve Manwë and live in Vanyamar now, but you and I must now go to Aewellondë," she blurted, and Ciaran raised his hands placatingly as she paused breathlessly.

"Calm down, child, and tell me again from the beginning," he said with slight amusement but mostly confusion as she blushed and proceeded to explain. Ciaran and Ecthelion received the news with mingled surprise, joy, and sorrow. Ecthelion was torn between surprise and sorrow, but valiantly tried to hide it for Eruanna's sake. Unfortunately, Ciaran and Eruanna were too sharp. Eruanna went to hug Ecthelion. "I'm sorry, Otorno. But I'll be happy there, finally serving my lord," she said wistfully, and the sorrow at leaving them was in her voice. Ecthelion sighed heavily.

"Yes, my little golden flower," he replied sadly. "I know you'll be happy, but I'll miss you both," he mourned.

Eruanna pulled back and kissed his cheek gently. "I know, Otorno," she said softly. "But I'm sure we can visit," she comforted, and allowed Ecthelion to bestow a kiss on her cheek before flitting back to Ciaran. With her growth had come a new sort of energy that surrounded her like a tangible, living thing, causing her to always be active, whether physically or mentally. "Shall I pack for you, Father?" she asked quietly, and Ciaran took her hand.

"I will do it, Eruanna. Worry not," he answered, and she nodded before leaving to prepare the trunks for Glorfindel and her own things. Ciaran, on the other hand, was left to comfort Ecthelion as best he could through his own selfish happiness at being able to go to Aewellondë. Elrond was there, after all, and some familiarity at least - along with the reassurance from Eruanna that Eärendil would undoubtedly take interest in and help him, having been in the same shoes once.

LOTRLOTRLOTR

Ciaran and Eruanna looked at each other as they stood aboard the _Uinen_ , Eruanna seated on top of the railing and Ciaran keeping an eye out for her, while Esgal sat on his haunches next to them. He was still a good two heads taller than her, despite her growth spurt, and she was the smallest on board. They had been guided to that boat earlier in the morning, and told that lord Ulmo had commanded them to drop the two passengers off at a certain point between Alqualondë and a peninsula that jutted out from the main landmass some distance away from the Teleri kingdom. From there, they were told, they would have to find their own way to Aewellondë.

"Well. I suppose this could be considered our first great adventure," Ciaran said with faint amusement, and Eruanna smiled faintly before suddenly sobering.

"Do you remember our first adventure, master?" she asked softly. No one knew the true bond between the two, and they had made sure to keep it that way.

"I do," was the equally grave reply.

"Then you will know what must be done sooner or later," she murmured, looking up at him with nothing but trust in her blue-green eyes. He looked back into them, struggling as always with the foreign feeling of knowing that one day his eyes would be filled with as much age as hers were.

"I do," he answered quietly. "You said that it was there."

Eruanna nodded, their thoughts turning to the fateful chest that had cost them both so much. "My training still comes back in bits and pieces. It's been slightly hard to keep it suppressed, though I'll have all of it soon," she added, slightly troubled.

Ciaran took her smaller hand gently into his own. "All will be well, dear heart," he murmured back, and she relaxed. Ciaran surveyed this act of trust with some trepidation, knowing that one day he may inadvertently break it, despite Eruanna's stern protests at such a thought.

A sailor approached them and bowed briefly. "My lady, lord, we have arrived," he said, and Eruanna nodded.

"Thank you," she answered calmly, and the sailor bowed uncertainly before going back to his post. His concern was legitimate, Ciaran thought with grim humor as he looked at the bleak wild land that faced them. It was just as well that they had only packed one bag each, not having too much to claim as their own. They would have a long way to walk.

Eruanna pursed her lips thoughtfully, remembering the warning her brother Glorfindel had gave her in a year ago, when they had been told that she would go to Aewellondë sometime soon. He had warned her of a test before they could enter Aewellondë, and that the city was shielded from outsiders unless they received an invitation by its lord and lady or was escorted there by a resident. As they were doing neither, they would have to find their way by themselves.

A small dinghy rowed the three to shore, dropping off their two bags as they waved to the kindly crew who had sped them there and also given them enough food provisions to last a week. They stared after the boat until it disappeared, and then Eruanna turned to Ciaran.

"You do have a sword, right, Father?" she asked, faint humor laced in her tone, and Ciaran merely quirked an eyebrow as he pointed to his belted waist. "Oh well that will work then," she said nonchalantly, and picking up her bag, hefted it onto her back and began to saunter off. Esgal trotted after, tongue lolling.

"And where are you two going?" Ciaran asked dryly, picking up his own pack and heading after her.

"Out there, somewhere. I think we'll follow our noses," she answered haughtily, and he looked down at her with lips twitching.

"Why the nose?" he queried mildly, though his eyes didn't miss the fact that there were two whip handles peeking out from her girdle.

"Because Gandalf once said that if one is at all lost, then trust the nose and follow it," she answered, and pointed her nose in the air as she marched forwards.

"I thought that only had to do with foul air," Ciaran pointed out, unable to resist the temptation to push Eruanna's buttons.

"Foul air behind us, fresh ahead," she replied with equanimity, and he sniffed the air, surprised that it was actually true.

"Strange, since the sea's fresh breeze is behind us," he noted, and felt Eruanna's smile more than saw it.

"Now, dear Master, how could a sea breeze be blowing towards our faces if the sea itself is behind us?" she asked, and Ciaran paused for a moment, eyebrow furrowed.

Suddenly, recognition dawned on his face. "I am getting old. That, or you're getting smarter," he said, and she giggled childishly and tugged his hand.

"Come!" she urged. "On towards the peninsula, from which opposite side the sea breeze beckons! Come on Esgal!" she said excitedly, and Ciaran suffered himself to be lead while Esgal barked.

What they were aware of, however, was that not two kilometers away there was a thick forest that had eyes.

They continued traveling for some kilometers in comfortable silence. "Shall we take a break and eat? We should ration our supplies as well," Ciaran finally said, and Eruanna looked up at him.

"Whatever you say I will do, Father," she chirped cheerily, and he merely nodded before leading them to a small rock outcropping. It overlooked the plain from all directions, and he decided to sit facing the forest, while Eruanna sat across from him to be able to see behind him for any danger and Esgal curled up comfortably facing the forest as well. He doled out bread and dried meat for the three of them, carefully rationing the supplies for a week.

"When do you think we'll have guests?" Eruanna queried through a mouthful of bread.

"Eat first, then speak, little one. Where have your manners gone?" he replied wryly.

"I don't know. I suppose they'll be back before we arrive at Alqualondë. They just desert me sometimes," was the causal answer that made Ciaran roll his eyes.

"Naughty child. As for company, what makes you think we'll have any?"

"Please Father, that's an easy quiz question. Always expect something unpleasant! It will still be unpleasant, but at least it won't be a surprise," she answered promptly.

"Good point," he nodded. "I'd say sometime within the next two days," he replied, and she looked thoughtful. Esgal's tail thumped as he chewed on his jerky.

"Enough time to assess us and try to figure out or weak points," she murmured, and he hummed in agreement.

"And do we set a trap?" he asked mildly.

Eruanna looked at him, still chewing on jerky. Then she swallowed, and took a sip of water from a canteen. "Yes and no. A false hint but not an outright trap," she answered, and he shot her a curious look.

"Oh?"

"Fake our weaknesses," she said. "I can sense these creatures, whatever they are - and they certainly aren't sentient enough to see that we're faking it. They will sense an outright trap though," she answered slowly, and he took her words seriously.

"Anything else?" he asked, and she shook her head, face scrunching.

"I haven't been trained that way by my brother. He would be able to," she answered honestly.

"Well, it's good enough," he shrugged fatalistically. "If we die, we die."

"Now dear Master, let's not be hasty. I really don't want to incur Atto's wrath," she deadpanned, making him burst into laughter.

"Pardon, I'd almost forgotten," he grinned, making her eyebrow twitch.

"Of course."

They ate in silence, then when Ciaran had replaced the supplies, headed off again. "What sort of faked weakness?" he finally queried.

She shrugged. "Any ideas, Master?" she replied respectfully, and he sighed.

"I really thought Valinor meant peace," he noted wearily, and Eruanna laughed bitterly.

"We wish, Master," she said, sounding just as worn.

"Well then, how about not hunting? Enough to hide our true potential," he offered, and she nodded.

"Makes sense," she agreed.

"I always make sense," Ciaran replied in a mock-hurt voice.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, Master," Eruanna deadpanned, while Ciaran fell into a juvenile pout. "Stop sulking Master, what would our watchers say?"

"They'd think I was not much of a match," was the blithe reply.

Eruanna turned to give him a mingled admiring and disgusted look. "I am very much impressed in a horrified sort of way," she sighed, causing him to laugh, loud and long.

"Dear heart, your face is absolutely priceless," he smirked, causing her to reach over and punch his shoulder as hard as she could. He winced and rubbed it. "You certainly don't pull your punches! What if I get a bruise?" he demanded.

"Master dear," her voice was honey-sweet. "I don't believe that you are capable of bruising anymore, at least not with a tiny punch like that," she replied, and he frowned thoughtfully.

"That makes me realize how weak men are physically compared to elves," he said thoughtfully. "I am relieved that men did not side against the Elves during most of the Ages, besides Black men and those of Rhûn. We would have fared ill," he mused, causing her to scrunch her nose. Esgal trotted along silently, though his cricked tail expressed wariness.

"I suppose. I've never thought of it that way before. It's always been a habit to curtail myself before those who are not Elves. Our natural strength, light, and power has always been too much for you mortals... no offense intended. Most of us who have dealt with mortals before just do it out of habit - dimming our lights I mean. We hide our true potential from the world. I think perhaps it's one thing mortals will never truly understand. And yet I admire them because they are so much more resilient than we tend to be... We are physically strong. They are strong in the ways that we aren't."

They walked on in silence for a while, lost in thought. "Perhaps that is why Mortals are always warned not to get too close to the Elves. Because when we leave, it's not us who suffer as much as the Elves. A safeguard for the Elves, not us. Is that why Elves are always so aloof from humans most of the time?" he queried, and Eruanna sighed.

"Yes. It has become the opposite way around more recently, but it is true. We shield ourselves from harm, knowing that we will not move on so easily from the pain as the humans can, who have done it for so long that they can recover and still move on. This is another thing about Valinorian Elves and those from Middle Earth; here, they look down upon Middle Earth Elves because they are safe here; they live in the shadow of the Valar here, where they need not fear such pain because even if one leaves us, we have the comfort that they will be reborn. Humans lose their loved ones all the time, and yet they can move on. We cannot. To think that we will not have any promise of seeing those we love again would break us beyond repair. But we who lived in Middle Earth? We are more eager to embrace the humans, because we do not expect to survive. We fatalistically expect our deaths, and welcome it when it comes because it is a fail-safe for healing and safety from that heartbreak. When we are reborn in Aman, we can forget those mortal companions that we made. Not all are so, but many are. Finrod and I are some of the few who have never forgotten and never will," Eruanna explained, pausing at times to gather the words together and blurt them out.

Another thoughtful silence fell while they mused upon this new idea. "I think that perhaps we Mortals feel too abashed in the presence of Elves," Ciaran said, though they both knew that this conversation was not only to understand but also to fool those eyes that were still watching and following them. "We feel small, even if the elves are hiding their power. We feel... unworthy, somehow. It affects us in different ways; some maintain a haughty air and some maintain a humbled, almost embarrassed air. It was admittedly hard to get used to being around Elves now, and still is, since I always felt self-conscious about myself as a human. And then when you finally figured out who I was, all those years ago... That was almost a fright for me at first," he snorted self-deprecatingly.

Eruanna shrugged, trying not to show the discomfort she felt at both the eyes trailing her and the weight of the bag straps digging into her shoulders. "I don't know master... It's not quite right to tell me that," she said uncomfortably. "I'm not exactly a normal elf, even if I understand the views of my people. I'm unusual and more mortal-minded than most elves," she said hesitantly, earning a look.

"Perhaps so," was the only answer.

For the rest of day, they walked on steadily, getting ever closer to the peninsula. They talked sparingly after the initial conversation, choosing instead to conserve energy and think of other things, including avoiding the prying eyes that followed them. That night, they slept by the seaside with a bright fire and torches handy nearby, Eruanna using Esgal as a pillow. The next few days were basically the same, until the third day when they calculated that they'd reach the peninsula that night. Esgal grew increasingly nervous each day.

"Master?" Eruanna asked, a distinctly troubled note in her voice.

"Yes, dearest?" Ciaran replied calmly, though alert.

"I can sense the creatures. They are growing in numbers, and getting closer each hour. I can't sense anything else, though I have a bad feeling that warns me that we may not be able to reach the peninsula without a fight," she said softly, and Ciaran hefted his pack on his shoulders.

"Do you think we'll be able to fight them off?" he asked grimly, and Eruanna shook her head, no anxiety on her face.

"There's too many, and I don't even know what sort of creatures they are, though their auras are clearly dark and tainted. They bear nothing but malice towards us. I don't know how big they are either, though they seem to be animals that run in herds or packs, judging by the way they group together," she tried to convey all she sensed, and Ciaran frowned.

"I've been realizing something," he said slowly, and Eruanna looked at him curiously.

"Over the past few days, and especially now, we've been talking as though the peninsula is our destination. How can that be, when there's seemingly nothing there? I don't see anything, and come to think of it, why are they attacking today of all days when we're close to the peninsula? It's as if they know we'll be beyond their reach as soon as we reach it," he articulated, and Eruanna looked at him in a lamp-lit moment.

"Shielding," she suddenly realized. "Aewellondë is supposed to be guarded from curiosity seekers and those who don't have an invitation. Even lord Manwë sanctioned a Maia to guard its location. I was half-expecting to meet a disguised Maia on the way there, but since I already know they probably thought it wouldn't be necessary, not to mention we're supposed to be going there. I bet that it's shielded, and the evil can sense that. We're meant to but not interpret it," she blurted, and Ciaran nodded.

"That makes sense," he realized. "But that means we'll have to make a run for it, and we're still a ways away," he said grimly. "Eruanna, we need to plan now like we're not getting help," he said lowly, and she immediately nodded.

"Yes master. Should we try to make torche- wait," she said suddenly. "Fire. Why does that sound familiar?" she wondered slowly, and her eyebrows scrunched. She bit her lip, and Ciaran began to discreetly undo the latch of his sword in order to have it ready if possible.

Eruanna cast her mind back, trying to grasp the niggling that hit her when she remembered fire. Portable fire. Hand-held fire. Her lips frowned. She remembered the dwarves' tale of Gandalf's flaming pinecones, and yes, Smaug's fire... Wait. Erebor's forges and Bombur with the bellows... And Balin and Glóin with flash flames! She lit up, then scrambled to remember the ingredients for the flash fire. They'd need sulfur, cloth, flint, and some sort of projectile to throw it with... She suddenly stopped, startling Ciaran.

She dropped to her knees and began to rummage around in her pack. Esgal whined at his elfling, prancing impatiently. "Master, can you give me the flint you use for sharpening your weapons?" she asked, and he nodded, attempting to take it out. She pulled out a white tunic from her bag along with her own piece of flint for lighting fires with. Ciaran handed her the flint, and she took it, standing again.

"We need to go to the seaside," she said, and headed that way. Ciaran followed, keeping a sharp eye out. There, she dropped to the grainy sand and pointed to the water edge. "Master, you'll see little pieces of yellowish stone by the water. Can you please gather as many as you can and bring them here?" she asked, and immediately began to rip the tunic into little pieces. Ciaran did so quickly without asking questions, while she made little squares out of the fabric and scrabbled for a pebble or two.

She spread the cloth out, then piled a little bit of sand in the center of the square, breaking off a little piece of flint and setting it on top before taking some of the sedimentary yellow sulfur and sprinkling it on top of the sand. Then she added a pebble, and tied up the cloth square. She made as many as she could, then gave Ciaran half, hurriedly picking up here and beginning the walk once more as she explained.

"They're flash fires as best as I can do. If you shake one hard enough and long enough, it'll start to get hot. Throw one at something, and if you hit it, it'll explode with a little burst of fire from the sulfur, flint, sand and rock in there. It won't kill them but it might buy us some time," she said, and understanding dawned on his face.

"Dwarvish isn't it?" he queried, and she nodded. They continued on as fast as they dared, trying to not look too conspicuous despite Esgal's insistent whimpering.

They were but an hour away when Ciaran grimaced. "Is it just me, or do you smell that?" he asked, and Eruanna sniffed the air. It was her turn to wince. Esgal snarled.

"Yuck," she complained, and he sighed.

"We have guests," he said gravely, and she nodded.

"Are we supposed to make a run for it?" she asked quietly, and he frowned.

"How many daggers do you have?" he asked.

"Four," she answered, and he looked disgruntled.

"Four dead with your aim, and who knows how many more there are. I'd say that we start running when we catch sight of them, and when they catch up, throw the flash flames to slow them down. When we've finally been cornered, we'll try to to take a few down and retreat towards the peninsula," he said grimly, and she nodded with a deep breath.

They sped up, but it wasn't long before they caught sight of small figures gaining on them, emerging from the forest to their right. Esgal barked at Eruanna, but she broke into a sprint. "Save your strength Esgal, you'll need it to fight them off!" she replied, and he whined but ran closely to them. They tried to run as fast as they could manage with their packs, but they only managed a kilometer before the howls in the air caught up with them and they could hear the creatures panting. Eruanna and Ciaran looked over at the large beasts, trying to gauge them.

There were at least ten of the huge things, and they were disgusting. Saliva dribbled from wolf-like maws, and beady black eyes looked at them malevolently with warped, half-intelligence. Their bodies were more like bears than wolves, however, and they loped with long strides on four paws. One of them let out an eerie cry, and Esgal howled back, his tones more pure and clear.

"Esgal, in front," Eruanna gasped, taking out a flash flame and beginning to vigorously shake it till it was so hot she could barely stand to clutch it. Esgal veered away from danger, while Ciaran and Eruanna took careful aim and hit the creatures closest to them in the vicinity of the eye. Both of their skills in throwing daggers came into play, the shots perfect. Yellow-green flame shot from the burning cloth and singed the fur of the beasts, who stumbled and stopped, howling furiously in pain as they swiped heavy paws at burning eyes and faces. That still left eight though. And like Eruanna noted, it would only slow the creatures. They had seven flames left each.

They took aim when two more got too close and hit their marks, still running. Six still running, and they were a good four kilometers away from the peninsula. Eruanna took out two and shook each in one hand, Ciaran doing the same. They took out four more, leaving only two left, which they also sacrificed the precious flames to delay. That gained them another kilometer, but they were slowing down from fatigue with three kilometers to go.

"Keep running till they catch up, then use your daggers till we can run again!" Ciaran yelled hoarsely, and she jerked her hand in recognition. The beasts soon caught up once more, infuriated by the pain of the flames and eager for blood. Their roars carried clearly across the empty plain and over the sea. Finally they stumbled and turned, Esgal raising his hackles and snarling, his ice blue eyes growing dark blue and pupils shrinking. The bear-like creatures lumbered up but slowed as well, and Eruanna clutched a dagger, eyes calculating the throw as Ciaran readied his sword. For a moment there was a tense face-off, then one of the creatures roared and lunched forwards, this time on two paws, towering over them.

In one swift movement, Eruanna drew back her arm and threw as hard as she could, the dagger making one spin midair to gain momentum before thudding hilt-deep into the flesh above the creature's chest. The beast let out a howl of agony before wavering and crashing onto the ground, thrashing weakly. Ciaran quickly finished it while Eruanna threw another with precise aiming, bringing another down for Ciaran to finish. The others paused, seeing the demise of their fellows, more wary now.

After a few more tense moments, Eruanna did a sudden turn and threw another dagger, managing the target on-spot and doing another spin to catch the creatures off-guard and land a final target. Ciaran ended one while Esgal tore the throat out of the other. There were six left, and two decided to try their luck.

Ciaran engaged one while Eruanna pulled out her whips and Esgal pounced on the others. Eruanna lashed out and snagged the paw of the one trying to kill Ciaran, heaving on it with all of her might. It wasn't enough to bring it down, but it was enough to male it stagger and allow Ciaran to slash its neck. It went down, and Ciaran plunged his sword into its head with a sickening crunch, twisting his sword back out. Eruanna retracted her whip, turning to see that Esgal had managed to slice the other to ribbons before finishing it off with a vicious snap on it's head.

"Three flames each master, and four left," Eruanna gasped. "Let's run," she said, and he nodded, taking out two. Eruanna took out two and shook them frantically, finally throwing at the same time as Ciaran before turning and bolting, not bothering to gather her daggers. They sprinted on, and Ciaran cried out in surprise as they noticed that on the peninsula where they were headed there had suddenly appeared an entire city made of white stone, a white tower near to the seashore. They also noticed three figures running towards them, and Eruanna felt relief fill her as she realized that it was Elladan, Elrohir, and Eärendil. She looked over at Ciaran, who nodded, and they whipped around once more along with Esgal, who didn't hesitate to immediately attack one.

The other two decided to engage them, just as Ciaran tossed her an extra, smaller dagger. She immediately flew into action, nerves hardened from her previous life and instincts honed by training. Her whips flew in two silvery arcs, wrapping around the two front paws of the creature focusing on her, just as the other three came up. She immediately twisted her whole body, winding the two whips into one thick rope and turning around, digging her feet into the soil and leaping forwards with all her might. The creature howled and came down onto all fours, off balance, and she immediately snapped the lashes free and flicked her wrist, sending one coil around it's neck with the other soon joining. She pulled again, and there was a choking sound as the thing attempted to claw at it's neck. Before the whips could break she snapped them free, then dropped one whip and threw the small dagger into it's eye. Dropping the other whip, she lunged and managed to pull the small dagger free with a _squelch_ , ignoring the deafening howling and instead using what strength she had left to bring it down into the thick skull, so hard that the dagger shattered into pieces. The beast collapsed, motionless.

Eruanna fell to the ground, gasping for breath. Ciaran and Esgal killed their respective ones, Elladan and Elrohir ending the last one. Bloodied and exhausted, Ciaran and Eruanna just tried to catch their breath while Esgal made sure they were all dead. Eärendil hurried over to Eruanna, but stopped when she threw out a hand. Elrohir hovered close by worriedly, but she finally caught her breath.

"Well," she managed, standing up weakly and attempting to brush off her clothes and hands. "I sure didn't expect to show up in such a disreputable state," she said with a wheezing laugh, and Ciaran burst into laughter along with her. Eärendil and the twins looked utterly bewildered.

"Eruanna? Ciaran? Are you alright?" Elrohir asked, and received no answer but laughter for a moment.

Finally, Eruanna grinned at them and bowed. "I apologize for our messy arrival, lord Eär'dil, but as you can see, we had to defend ourselves. We have arrived, more or less in one piece," she said, and Ciaran bowed.

"Excuse our flippancy as well, lord Eärendil, but we're rather relieved after being stalked for four days and not even knowing if we'd survive that," Ciaran motioned vaguely behind them.

"How many were there?" Elladan asked incredulously, but Eärendil cut off any answer as he scooped up Eruanna, despite her protests of being dirty.

"Hush, child," he scolded. "And we are happy you are here. Come, we shall see you in and make sure you are cleaned up before hearing anything else," he said, and they gathered up and walked towards the city, laughing and greeting each other cheerily.

Eruanna knew just as well as Ciaran, however, that they were far less shaken by the killing than they should have been, and exchanged looks. They were assassins, first life and second. They resigned themselves to the fact that they would not change.


End file.
